DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Durham City Council voted Monday to approve a $44 million bond for a new mixed-use development in the Hayti district.

The revitalization project will bring more than 250 affordable housing units to the historic neighborhood, part of an effort to restore Durham’s historic “Black Wall Street”.

Gail Jones has lived in Hayti across from the proposed development since the early 1990s and says she’s optimistic about the project.

“I’m excited about the change that is coming to our neighborhood,” she said. “Hayti should be remembered because of its historic value, for Black Wall Street.”

The project, also known as Fayette Place, will bring mixed-income, affordable housing and retail space to 20 acres along Merrick Street.

Proposed Fayette Place in Hayti community in Durham

The Durham Housing Authority praised the vote by the city council and sent ABC11 News a statement.

“We’re excited to move forward with the highly anticipated development of 252 new units of affordable housing in the initial phase of the Villages of Hayti. Developing this site will certainly impact the growing need for affordable housing in Durham and create renewed synergy for the community,” said a spokesperson for the DHA.

DHA officials say the total cost for the development is estimated to be around roughly $86 million.

Jones says she and her neighbors have witnessed a lot of crime in the abandoned area and have seen several redevelopment plans come and go over the years.

“We’ve heard some humdingers and empty promises. We’ve been on the radar; it has been an eyesore, so we were excited to find out something is going to actually happen,” said Jones.

The Southern Environmental Law Center recently released a study looking at how highway development and industrial encroachment stunted the growth of the historic black neighborhood.

SELC Environmental Justice Initiative leader Chandra Taylor-Sawyer says the redevelopment could possibly undo the division that has plagued the community for far too long.

“There are tremendous opportunities with investment if it is done right, and if it includes the people who are directly adjacent to and in that community,” she said.

Documents from the Durham City Council say Phase 1 of the construction could start as early as next year, and be completed in 2027.

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