Downtown Durham: find your cool.
So goes the slogan of Downtown Durham Inc., the company at the forefront of the seven-year-old project to renovate the Bull City's downtown area.
Six panelists, including DDI President Bill Kalkhof spoke Monday night to a full audience in Love Auditorium regarding the present state of the city's reconstruction projects and its future plans. The first Downtown Durham Conference, sponsored by the Duke Real Estate Club, attracted Duke students, city leaders and Durham residents.
Discussion centered around the improvements made to downtown culture and the continued need for community involvement.
"We don't think the city center can be successful unless more people-local people-get involved in downtown," said panelist Michael Lemanski, managing partner of Greenfire Development, a company commited to improving the overall quality of life in Durham.
Kalkhof started the conference by describing the positive changes that the downtown initiative has made thus far, including $1.2 billion in investments obtained by the city.
Since 1990, the downtown Durham workforce has more than tripled to 16,000 workers. In 2007 approximately 1.8 million people visited downtown attractions.
Durham's city plan already has separated the downtown area into districts, which provide landmarks for visitors to the Bull City.
The expansion of the West Village Urban Loft Apartments and construction of a new transportation center and a free shuttle system downtown are some projects currently in progress.
All members of the panel focused on the need for continued growth in construction and downtown usage in all districts.
"Every time someone does another project, it helps us all move the ball forward," said panelist Dr. Andrew Rothschild, president and founder of Scientific Properties, a real estate development firm.
Scott Selig, Duke associate vice president for capital assets, said the Duke campus expands 150 feet into the Durham area every year. The growth catalyzes downtown expansion but cannot and should not do so by itself.
"Durham will not fail," he said. "We are well past the tipping point.... Get ready for the ride. The ride has only started. It's really exciting."
During his speech, City Manager Patrick Baker described his commitment to not only creating a beautiful downtown area, but also ensuring that nearby inner-city neighborhoods would not become neglected.
A question-and-answer session followed the presentations explaining the panelists' projects. Attendees asked about transportation options, inclusion of residents in planning small-scale projects in fringe areas and women and minority involvement in city planning.
Real Estate Club President Rick Bagel, a senior, said he was pleased with the conference's turnout and the way it represented Durham as a whole. It provided a great case study, he said, adding that it generated publicity for the downtown renovation project.
"People care more about downtown than any other part of the city," City Council member Michael Woodard said.
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