Durham Rescue Mission wants to rezone land downtown. For what, neighbors ask.
Residents of East Durham are concerned about a rezoning request that could clear the way for a large development, potentially reshaping the community’s landscape.
McAdams, a Raleigh-based engineering firm known for its work on Cary’s Fenton development, is asking the city to rezone 3.5 acres along South Alston Avenue and South Holman Street. The Durham Rescue Mission owns the land.
The land currently has a church and some vacant buildings, and details about the proposed development remain largely unknown.
A neighborhood meeting Thursday night between McAdams and residents provided little information about any potential development or why the rezoning is being sought, which frustrated residents who live near the properties.
Documents submitted to the city show the rezoning would allow retail and warehouse space with parking. This could allow, for example, a 1,350-square-foot convenience store without gasoline sales or a 6,000-square-foot fast food restaurant without a drive-through, according to the documents.
The rezoning would not allow uses like car washes, payday lenders, nightclubs or bars, among other businesses.
The Durham Rescue Mission hired McAdams to develop at least part of the land for a career development center serving people who are homeless, recently incarcerated, and/or need help to get back on their feet, said Rob Tart, president and CEO of the organization.
“We’re not looking to increase bed space,” he said in a phone interview.
Over the past three years, the Durham Rescue Mission has seen a 40% increase in the number of people coming to its men’s and women’s shelters.
The men’s shelter at 1201 E. Main St., near the proposed rezoning site, houses about 270 men a night, more if needed with emergency cots.
Residents question rezoning request
According to the documents, McAdams did not agree to the Durham’s Transportation Department’s request for a bus pull-out, concrete pad, or bus shelter near the site. There are commitments to sidewalks along East Main Street and Angier Avenue.
About 20 people attended Thursday’s online meeting where Sarah Van Every, a senior planner at McAdams, said the new zoning would allow for the development of a possible retail area, training center and storage space, as well as parking.
“If the rezoning is approved, then that investment in the community continues, but this is essentially step one, so that is why there is not additional information at this time,” she said.
No one from The Durham Rescue Mission spoke at the virtual meeting.
Chloe Palenchar, an East Durham resident, pressed for more information.
“This is odd that the information presented here about what it will be used for is not related at all to the rezoning request exactly,” she said. “The Rescue Mission may think that’s what they’ll use it for now, but they’re not bound to this at all, to use it for retail space or training center or storage space.”
Astrid Cook, another resident, criticized McAdams for not offering any community benefits during an important first step in any development plans. .
“By not making any of those proffers at this stage, you’re further reinforcing the concern from local community members about the lack of transparency around this project,” she said.
In a phone call before the meeting, Aidil Ortiz said she also questioned why McAdams and the Durham Rescue Mission couldn’t give more initial information, especially since the mission’s goals are to invest in the community.
“[The Durham Rescue Mission] has talked more about what they will not build, as opposed to what they do want to build, and that makes it particularly hard for neighbors to know what’s coming,” said Ortiz, who has lived in East Durham for 22 years.
“It’s important because [the development] is going to be really visible, and it’ll be important to the fabric of how people perceive East Durham as they come in,” she said.
Founded in 1974, the Durham Rescue Mission is the city’s oldest, long-term homeless shelter and owns several properties in Durham. It has been criticized for the state of some of its properties, and former employees have spoken about the organization’s treatment of people in need.
The N&O reached out to McAdams this week by phone and email but did not get a response before Thursday’s meeting.
“It’s not a surprise that they are being so quiet and sort of distant with neighbors and are not exactly opening this conversation with open arms and a lot of transparency and welcome,” Ortiz said.
How rezonings work in Durham
City Councilman Nate Baker, who previously served on the Planning Commission, said it is not uncommon for developers to submit rezoning requests without specifying what they might build.
The rezoning stage is required for property owners who want to change what’s allowed on any parcel of land in the city. The Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council on whether the request fits Durham’s comprehensive plan.
The Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the rezoning request at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in City Hall. The meeting will be streamed on a Zoom link at durhamnc.gov/planningcommission. Residents who wish to speak must call 1-301-715-8592 by 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting to register.
Erika Smith, who lives on East Main Street across from the project site, is concerned about the vagueness of the rezoning request.
“We’re worried about having a commercial space right next to us, especially because we live on a small street. it’s only our house and one house behind us that are on the street where our driveway accesses are on South Holman,” Smith said.
She said the current groundwork next door on Rescue Mission-owned properties has also already begun affecting the foundation of her older house.
“We’ve gotten cracks that haven’t really changed for years since we’ve been here that all of a sudden once they started doing that, everything started getting worse,” Smith said. “It’s becoming more urgent now.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Durham Rescue Mission wants to rezone land downtown. For what, neighbors ask.."