Business Briefs

Condemned Durham warehouse to be remade for apartments, shops

More than a year after the roof of a landmark warehouse near downtown Durham collapsed, the owner has unveiled plans to transform the building into a six-story mixed-use project.

Posted 2012-09-12T22:28:29+00:00 - Updated 2012-09-12T22:21:00+00:00

A May 14, 2011, thunderstorm caused part of the roof on the historic Liberty Warehouse in Durham to collapse. City inspectors condemned the building, forcing tenants to evacuate.

More than a year after the roof of a landmark warehouse near downtown Durham collapsed, the owner has unveiled plans to transform the building into a six-story mixed-use project.

Greenfire Development wants to renovate the northern half of Liberty Warehouse for commercial use. Plans call for demolishing most of the original structure and replacing it with 160 apartments, a parking garage and street-level retail space.

Heavy rains in May 2011 caused part of the 2.4-acre roof on the Riggsbee Avenue warehouse, to cave in. City inspectors condemned the building two days later, forcing tenants to scramble to find new space.

Inspectors condemned the property, and Durham ordered Greenfire to repair it.

Liberty Warehouse dates to 1938 and once served as a tobacco auction house. In recent years, the historic landmark has been used as studio, warehouse and retail space for numerous businesses and nonprofit groups.