Shovels finally hit the dirt in Bragtown on Thursday, as Durham leaders kicked off construction on Sandy Ridge Station and Sandy Ridge Villas, a two-phase project they are betting will put a real dent in the city’s housing crunch.
The roughly $64 million development will bring 198 affordable apartments to Old Oxford Road, all reserved for households earning at or below 70% of the area median income. Developers say the new buildings will replace aging units on the site, with dozens of current public housing residents slated to move into the community once it opens. Officials expect the first residents to arrive in Summer 2027.
According to ABC11, the combined Sandy Ridge project is split into a 132-unit family complex and a 66-unit senior building, and city and housing leaders gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking on June 11. Mayor Leo Williams called the development a direct response to “one of Durham’s most urgent needs” and reminded the crowd that “it’s 198 families that will have a roof over their heads.” Durham Housing Authority official Eric Swan framed Sandy Ridge as one piece of a broader push to expand housing options across the city…