Mayor Bill Bell aimed a barb at some critics of the Rolling Hills/Southside project in his State of the City speech tonight.

"There are those who would criticize for the sake of criticism, and
whose only goal is to kill or stop the development from moving forward," he said.

Larry Hester, from whom the city repossessed the 20-acre Rolling Hills site for delinquent loans in 2003, has been the project's most vocal critic recently. Hester and his wife, Denise, have said the project could mean the city's taking property by eminent domain, and that residents of the area involved have not been adequately informed of the city's plans.

Bell, though, said the 125-acre project area "must be revived," Bell said. "There is too much of our city's history tied to this area."

Giving his “State of the City” address Monday night, Durham Mayor Bill Bell ticked off a long list of the city’s accomplishments during 2008 before warning of tough times ahead in 2009.

“What’s for sure is, that we must prepare for the worst,” he said.