Developer Withdraws Rezoning Request For Durham’s Hayti District

A surprise move at Monday night’s Durham City Council meeting has put the future of a key site in the Hayti neighborhood on hold.

Sterling Bay, a Chicago-based developer, unexpectedly withdrew its request to rezone a 10-acre property along Fayetteville Street, just south of downtown. The company had planned to build a large-scale life sciences campus combined with residential apartments on the site, which once housed a shopping center and has sat vacant for years.

The decision came as a shock to city officials and residents alike. Council chambers were packed, with overflow crowds in the building’s lobby. Many attendees had come specifically to oppose the proposed rezoning.

Concerns voiced by residents centered on the potential impact to the historically Black neighborhood. Critics worried the project—featuring high-rise buildings but no affordable housing—could drastically alter the character of the area and contribute to displacement of longtime residents due to rising costs.

With the developer stepping back, the future of the Hayti Heritage Park property remains in limbo, leaving the community to wonder what will come next for the long-vacant site.