Ever since Duke’s plans for revamping Central Campus were announced, area business owners have begun to focus their thoughts on the future of Ninth St. But long before the new Central becomes a reality, construction will be complete on the Triangle Regional Rail—a transportation system that will irrevocably alter the way many area residents move from place-to-place.
The rail line is expected to open in 2008 with 12 stops between Durham and Raleigh. It will create opportunities for Duke students—many of whom are currently dependent on buses—to hop on a train and travel straight to a concert at the RBC Center or dinner in downtown Raleigh.
Despite some budget setbacks, construction on the rail line will receive 60 percent of its funding from the federal government, according to reports from the Triangle Transit Authority. The remaining portion will be taken from state and local funding.
Following its scheduled completion in late 2008, the Ninth Street station—located on the corner of Erwin Rd., Ninth St. and Main St.—will be the final stop for the Durham end of the rail line until an additional station is added at Duke University Medical Center/West Campus in 2011 or later.
But the rail line is not a one-way street. On the other end of the transit system sit Raleigh and Cary, which boast some of of the fastest growing metropolitan populations in the country—and with the rail line, the cities’ residents will prospectively have direct access to one of Durham’s most commercial avenues.
“I think obviously it’s going to bring more density to the area, more people,” said Michael Palmer, University director of community affairs. “It also creates the opportunity for people to live in Durham and work in Raleigh—and vice versa. I think it will be a contributing factor to the further economic development in Durham.”
According to studies examined by the TTA, the Raleigh-Durham Metropolitan Area was the sixth fastest growing area in the U.S. from 1990 to 2000. The population is only expected to increase further.
With the expanded transportation available to Triangle residents via the future rail line, transportation authorities have predicted that the areas around the 12 stations will undergo significant commercial development.
“What we’re trying to do is to turn each station site into an origination and a destination,” said Paul Vespermann, director of transit corridor development for the TTA.
Vespermann explained that the ultimate goal of working with local development—both commercial and residential—is to allow for a higher density population around each station that is expected to increase ridership.
Station construction will begin in three construction “packets,” each two months apart, Vespermann said. The Ninth St. Station is in the second construction packet, which is slated to begin Sept. 2006. The projected development at Ninth Street, Vespermann added, would prioritize the wants and demands of the surrounding community above those of TTA.
Brad Schulz, communications officer at TTA, said the newly-hired development manager—Cherokee Investment Partners and PB PlaceMaking—will be meeting with the area residents and business-owners around stations in the coming months to formulate a development plan that fits the particular mold of each community.
“Folks that work at the University, live at the University, will all be involved in this process,” Schulz said.
Many local businesses are looking forward to the commercial boost the rail line is expected to create.
“The more people are able to get around the better for business—especially with gas being so expensive,” said Michael Maller, manager for Vin Rouge, a restaurant on Hillsborough St.
Beyond commercial expansion, residential areas around stations are also expected to experience growth.
“There have just been new apartments that opened around the corner here,” said Tom Campbell, co-owner of The Regulator Bookshop on Ninth St. “I expect that there will be more of that kind of development.”
A downside to the increased density, Campbell added, is the contingency of sharp increases in rent. “If rents go up in tandem with business, then that’s fine,” he said. “But if landlords get grandiose ideas of how much income can be generated from properties, then that’s a problem.”
Despite such a potential drawback, most area residents and business-owners remain optimistic about the chance to be connected to the rest of the Triangle via the new rail line.
“I think it will definitely help—it’s only going to unite the cities,” said Danielle Rios, owner of Blue Corn Cafe on Ninth St. “I grew up in the Northeast, and we had a rail system, and it was so easy to get around. There were only benefits. The roads are so congested as it is that I really only see positives.”
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