Now that the developer of a proposed life sciences project in Durham has paused the plan, many are asking what could happen next.
Late Monday evening, Jamie Schwedler, a representative for Sterling Bay, told the City Council that while they had hoped to bring more opportunities to the historically Black Hayti neighborhood, they wished to withdraw the rezoning request for the project. They had sought the rezoning for 401 E. Lakewood Ave., home of the former Heritage Square shopping center, to construct buildings taller than 175 feet.
Sterling Bay bought Heritage Square for $62 million in 2022, but its plan for the life sciences campus and apartments met opposition from residents in Durham and Hayti who feared the project threatened the vulnerable neighborhood…