On anniversary of MLK's assassination, groups rally in Durham's Hayti against rezoning

Yahoo

05-04-2025

Fifty-seven years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., dozens of people gathered in the pews of a Durham church he once visited to oppose a proposed rezoning in a historic Black neighborhood.
On Friday evening, more than 100 people rallied at St. Mark AME Zion Church, 531 S. Roxboro St., to protest a redevelopment plan that would replace Heritage Square, an aging commercial center in Durham's Hayti neighborhood, with a new mixed-use project.
Sterling Bay, a Chicago-based developer, purchased the now-vacant and fenced 10-acre site for $62.5 million three years ago. The company plans to invest $500 million over the next decade to build the project in phases, which would include lab space, offices, housing, retail and public open areas.
According to documents submitted to the Durham Planning Commission, phase one of the project includes:
A 13-story residential tower with 325 units
An 11-story building with 290,000 square feet of lab and office space
Over 17,000 square feet of retail space
A gathering plaza
The proposed development at 401 E. Lakewood Avenue sits just steps from St. Mark AME Zion Church and the Durham Freeway, which cuts through the heart of the historic Hayti neighborhood. As part of the project, Sterling Bay is also seeking to rename Heritage Square to Carolina Research Square.
To acknowledge the legacy of the once-thriving Hayti community — known for its concentration of Black-owned homes and businesses — Sterling Bay has proposed installing a marker.
'That word, 'heritage,' means something,' said Henry McKoy, the director for the Hayti Reborn advocacy group, at the rally. 'The word heritage has weight. Heritage Square was the embodiment of collective dreams.'
Opponents of the rezoning say the project reflects a familiar pattern of development in Durham, one that, in the 1960s, led to the destruction of thousands of Black homes and businesses to make way for the Durham Freeway. Heritage Square was built in 1985 with funding from private real estate firms, loans, investors, Black churches and community groups. Despite its promising start, the project struggled financially and eventually fell into disrepair.
For years, promises have been made to revitalize Hayti, but those commitments have been largely abandoned.
'To be clear, the community is not against development,' McKoy said. '(Sterling Bay) legally purchased the site, so they have a legal right to develop on it. The community's against being erased, overshadowed, and given a check that's going to bounce.'
A public hearing is scheduled for the Planning Commission's meeting at 5:30 p.m., April 8. The commission may recommend approval of the rezoning, which will later head to the Durham City Council.
If the rezoning is approved and construction begins for the future development, more residents could be displaced, according to McKoy. In a document, Hayti Reborn summarizes their opposition to the rezoning:
The development would drive up property values and taxes, pricing out existing residents and Black-owned businesses.
Sterling Bay has not committed to including affordable housing.
The proposed development has no wealth-building tactics for the Hayti community.
Taller, denser buildings would serve high-income residents and businesses rather than the community.
'Just because the community grows doesn't mean that folks who have called this community home have to be displaced or they have to leave,' McKoy said in a phone interview. 'There's a need and desire to create economic opportunity, jobs and generational wealth.'
Julian Pridgen, the pastor of St. Mark, said there is concern that the church will be impacted by the construction and stormwater runoff.
'The structure is old and it's fragile. We already have some flooding in the basement from rainwater runoff because we sit at the bottom of a hill,' Pridgen said in a phone interview. Old pipes under the church have also been problematic, leading to soil erosion and a sink hole in the parking lot one year.
In early conversations with Sterling Bay, Pridgen said, the developers 'weren't interested' in any community needs or efforts to restore what Hayti lost.
'We're hoping to welcome a neighbor who's interested in this local community,' Pridgen said.
In a statement from Sterling Bay, a spokesperson said the company welcomes further conversation and has been incorporating 'specific feedback from the Hayti community, including references to historic Hayti, publicly accessible gathering spaces, food and beverage offerings, job opportunities and affordable retail space.'
'Our commitment to a mixed-use life sciences research hub with residential and retail opportunities remains, as does our goal of creating economic opportunity for Durham area residents,' the statement read.
At the rally, seven people, including former state Rep. Mickey Michaux and former state Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr., spoke to inform residents about the rezoning and what they could do to share their concerns.
McKissick, a Durham native, said part of Hayti's history has been 'forgotten.'
The community was built in 1869 by formerly enslaved people and named after the country Haiti, the first independent Black republic. The district was formed around Pettigrew and Fayetteville streets. The Hayti Heritage Center, formed in 1975 in the original St. Joseph's AME Church, has worked to preserve the heritage of the community through events, activities and programs. Much of Hayti, the Fayetteville Street corridor and surrounding areas are still mostly occupied by Black residents.
'It's up to us to protect that legacy,' McKissick said. 'It's up to us to pass on to the next generation to motivate them to mobilize; to (let them know) what's going on with redevelopment efforts right in this very community that can impact their lives.'
Terrence White, the vice chair for the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, said residents must 'protect our neighborhoods from the aggressive takeover of land and development.'
'(We're) ensuring that no rezoning efforts move forward if they are detrimental to the needs of the community,' he said.
According to Hayti Reborn, opponents want several key outcomes from Sterling Bay for Heritage Square:
Respect current zoning height restrictions.
Mitigate traffic congestion.
Include commercial and retail spaces that support Black-owned businesses, include affordable housing, allow 50% equity for the community, and allow Hayti stakeholders to serve as co-developers.
Sterling Bay must withdraw its rezoning request before April 8 to further work with the community.
'People want to hold up the history of Hayti in a proud way,' McKoy said.
Heritage Square Rezoning Demands by Kristen Johnson on Scribd