Six developers vying to redevelop old site of Durham police headquarters

The old site of the Durham Police Station is a prime piece of real estate in the Bull City.

Durham leaders now must figure out what to do with it.

The site at 505 West Chapel Hill St. is surrounded by a chain-link fence and overgrown grass, and rusted-out stairs fill the four-acre property.

Six developers are vying to redevelop the property. Next month, the Durham City Council is expected to hear from those developers on how they will execute the priorities of the community, especially housing.

Durham resident Ann Rebeck has spoken before the Durham City Council at a previous work session meeting.

"Affordable housing in Durham really needs a win,” Rebeck said. “We need a win because the market approach and capitalism has been winning a lot in Durham right now."

Rebeck and others are concerned about a plan that calls for 250,000 square feet of office space and a request for a new hotel.

"It calls for the same, a hotel and high-end office space when what we really need is housing,” said Rev. Heather Rodrigues, the lead pastor at Duke United Methodist Church.

Rodrigues asked city staff to rework the plan to encourage more affordable housing units.

City staff said this plan is flexible.

"It is a draft,” said city of Durham senior real estate officer Tara Nichols. “We're looking at priorities that have been given to us by this city council as it related to affordable housing being the number one priority."

It marks the third effort to redevelop the old police station. Durham Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton says the council must get this right.

"This is a prime piece of real estate,” Middleton said. “It's the last real gateway to downtown.

“It's going to be a generational decision, so it's really important that we get it right."

During Monday’s Durham City Council meeting, council members could vote to move the project to the next phase.

The city council is expected to take up the issue during its Nov. 6 meeting. Council members could vote to move it to the next phase.