The City Council unanimously approved another $355,000 for planning the Rolling Hills/Southside redevelopment tonight, bringing the city's investment for planning up to $745,000.
The area to be redeveloped includes the depressed Southside neighborhood and some other nearby blocks as well as the Rolling Hills site which the city repossessed for delinquent loans in 2003. Since 1985, two private developers have failed to build out and sell the 20-acre site in the old Hayti area.
Larry Hester, one of the former Rolling Hills developers, objected to a lack of public participation in the planning process so far. His wife, Denise Hester, and citizen Victoria Peterson raised the same concern, but Mayor Bill Bell assured them the public would be invited to take part in the planning process.
Durham needs to have a firm plan complete by January to meet deadlines for grant applications and state tax credits. The city has applied for $31 million for the project from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Under an agreement the City Council approved in December 2007, the St. Louis redevelopment firm McCormack Baron Salazar was to raise $325,000 to match the city's contribution for planning costs. The company failed to raise its part and has asked the city to cover the entire amount, while remaining part of the project team.
Expanding the project area has raised the planning cost from the originally estimated $650,000.
The agreement with McCormack Baron Salazar expires in December but could be extended at the city manager's discretion.
