Old East Durham has a long history as an industrial hub, but some property owners in the area want to further transform the district into a residential and commercial destination.
Currently, the district is sliced up by incongruent zoning types. A significant portion of the area is still zoned for industrial uses, even as the neighborhood has slowly reconstituted to include more houses and small businesses. A group of residential and commercial property owners want to turn two blocks around the Angier-Driver corridor into a “downtown” area complete with retail, makerspaces, restaurants, and a variety of housing options.
No specific plans have been filed, and any changes are likely still years away as the city makes improvements to the area’s sewer system, which is currently at capacity, putting additional growth there on hold. The proposal took an initial step on June 15 when the Durham City Council approved the necessary rezoning by a 5-2 vote…