Southside Revitalization

The Southside project area consists of approximately 125 acres located on the southern edge of downtown Durham and just north of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Boundaries of the project area are generally Lakewood Avenue on the north, the American Tobacco Trail on the west, Umstead Street on the south, and Fayetteville Street on the east.

After years of economic disinvestment, the area was found to contain the highest concentration of vacant properties of any Durham neighborhood and one of the lowest rates of homeownership. Despite the historic disinvestment that occurred, Southside has certain strategic advantages over other challenged Durham neighborhoods:

  • Its proximity to downtown, Forest Hills and other stable neighborhoods, NCCU, and the Durham freeway.
  • The area's relatively small, compact, and manageable size.

Southside Phases

To increase the supply of affordable rental housing in our community, the City partnered with McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. to develop the former Rolling Hills site as part of the Southside Revitalization effort.  The site, consisting of approximately 20 acres, in being developed in Three Phases (PDF).

Phase I

Now identified as the Lofts at Southside, Phase I in Southside is complete.  The development consists of 132 multi-family rental units with 80 of the units being marketed to households at 60% or below the Area Median Income (AMI).  The remaining 52 units are available to market rate households.  

Phase I Financing:

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
  • City of Durham
  • U.S. Bank 
  • McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.

Phase II

Now identified as Lofts at Southside Phase II, Phase II in Southside is complete.  The development consists of 85 multi-family units with 58 of those units being marketed to households at 60% or below AMI.  The remaining 27 units are available to market rate households.

Phase II Financing:

  • HUD 
  • North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
  • City of Durham
  • U.S. Bank
  • McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.

Phase I: The Lofts at Southside

Lofts1

questions?

For additional information regarding Southside multi-family rental units, please contact the Lofts at Southside Management Office:

The Lofts at Southside
703 South Roxboro Street
Durham, NC 27707
Phone: (919) 973-2183 
Email: [email protected]

single-family Homeownership in Southside

After preparing 48 lots in the Southside community for development of single-family homeownership, the City, through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process, selected two General Contractors to construct the units. Phase I has been completed with the sale and occupancy of the forty-eight homes. Providing financing for the site preparation and infrastructure improvements were the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City of Durham. The success of the homeownership development continues to spur private development activity in and around the new Southside neighborhood.

Mortgage Financing was provided by:

  • North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
  • City of Durham
  • Community Center for Self Help
  • Duke University

In 2015, the Southside revitalization effort received the prestigious Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award in recognition of its creative use of federal HOME and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars to assist in transforming the Southside neighborhood. The award was presented by the National Community Development Association.

The development received the 2015 Housing North Carolina Award from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency.


Fargo-Homes