COHOUSING?
Just what is cohousing?
According to the Cohousing Association of the United States: It's "a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods.
"Cohousing residents are consciously committed to living as a community. The physical design encourages both social contact and individual space. Private homes contain all the features of conventional homes, but residents also have access to extensive common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house."
For more information, on cohousing, visit www.cohousing.org online.
By Monica Chen
mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636
DURHAM -- The Durham Central Park area, once a neglected northern cousin to revitalization occurring closer to the downtown loop, is suddenly bustling with activity that holds the promise to fill the area with food, music and -- very important -- residents to frequent those businesses.
There is a new music venue under construction on Geer Street. Sandwiches and beer are in the offing with the reopening of King's Sandwich Shop and the launch of Fullsteam Brewery, both slated to happen this summer.
Morris Ridge, a commercial and residential development by Measurement Inc. is planned for the immediate west of the Durham Farmers' Market. It is pre-selling its first phase: 25 luxury condominiums, 12,200 square feet of retail and 62,000 square feet of office space.
Prices range fromm $234,500 for a 780-square-foot condo to $444,500 for a 1,361-square-foot condo.
On the other side of the farmers' market, another residential project is also looking to get off the ground.
A group of six households sharing a common interest in tight-knit communities and living near downtown are hoping to develop two properties into cohousing condos.
The new development, called Durham Central Park Cohousing Community, would be the second condominium cohousing project in Durham. Other cohousing communities, such as Eno Commons, have been single-family homes.
Nancy Henderson-James, a retired school librarian and one of the founding residents of DurhamCoho, said plans are to have 24 condos in the 900- to 1,300-square-foot range for the lots from 128 to 132 Hunt St.
The project will be different from typical condo projects because of the amount of shared space it will have in community meeting rooms, kitchen and living/dining area.
"In an ordinary apartment building, people can live there and never know each other, never have anything to do with each other," Henderson-James said. "We wanted more of a community."
The group has not closed on the properties yet, but Henderson-James said they are very confident about the project moving forward and are in the process of hiring an architect. The group has a website at www.durhamcoho.com.
Tim Hunter and Diana Fox are one of the families that are already on board. The couple work at SAS in Cary, and between Hunter's desire to live near downtown and Fox's wish to live in a cohousing development, the new project would meet both their needs.
Hunter said cohousing appeals because of the participatory process for all residents, not just those involved with the homeowners' association. As for the location, the amenities of the Central Park area were a major draw.
"We want to go and buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the Farmers' Market," Hunter said.
Jay Andorfer, with The Andorfer Group, who is handling pre-selling and leasing activity for Morris Ridge, said the location and amenities are appealing to potential buyers for that project as well.
"There's no room for the downtown to grow but that north end," he said.
"People are liking the idea of coming home, walking to restaurants, walking to the farmers' market, sitting in the park," he added. "Everything is becoming walking distance."
A kickoff party for Morris Ridge was held last week, and Andorfer said they hope to have their first contract soon. Half of the condos need to be presold for the project to move forward.
Future phases of Morris Ridge, depending on interest, will include about 110,000 square feet of Class A office and retail space, 30,000 square feet of residential space, and a 600 space parking deck.
