Duke’s vision for Central Campus

Editorial

In the Sunday, March 14, 2004 edition of The Herald-Sun, the following printed correction appeared: A Friday editorial incorrectly said neighborhood groups would be willing to accept 10,000 square feet of retail at Duke's Central Campus. The groups have not agreed to retail space beyond a list that included three restaurants, a bowling alley, an arts center, a hotel, a bookstore and a clothing store. We regret the error. See correction notes in body of text.

Ask just about anybody in Durham where Duke University's Central Campus is, and you'll get a puzzled stare. West and East campuses, yes, but Central? If long-range planning at Duke holds up, that's going to change in a big way. Central Campus will take its rightful place with its older siblings.

Duke hasn't committed anything to stone yet, but university planners clearly want to rebuild Central Campus as an integral part of Duke. That's why Duke officials met Tuesday with about 60 residents and merchants in the Ninth Street area, which would feel much of the impact of the new, 2,000-student Central Campus.

There is, in fact, a Central Campus today. It consists of 200 acres defined by the Durham Freeway on the north, Campus Drive on the south and east, and by Duke Gardens and the medical campus on the west. The reason so many people can pass through this area without recognizing Central Campus is because it doesn't look like Duke - no Hillsborough stone, no large buildings, no fancy landscaping. Nondescript, boxy student apartments and mill houses, along with some recreational facilities, dominate the area.

Duke planners envision a rebuilt Central Campus as an integral part of the university, and more. They see it as a village, with new dormitories, a small hotel and retail shops. Expansion of Duke Gardens to Erwin Road and preserving green space is also in the plan.

On the whole, it would be a big improvement for Durham, with one possible exception: the retail shops. Ninth Street merchants understandably see such shops as competitors with a leg up. Because of Duke's tax exempt status, they might not have to pay property taxes.

So far, Duke has not said it will build beyond 10,000 square feet of retail in Central Campus (CORRECTION NOTE: The groups have not agreed to retail space beyond a list that included three restaurants, a bowling alley, an arts center, a hotel, a bookstore and a clothing store.), a figure that neighborhood groups are ready to accept. But Duke is under no obligation to stay under that figure, saying only that the university won't knowingly damage business on Ninth Street.

At the meeting with neighborhood representatives and merchants, Duke Executive Vice President Tallman Trask acknowledged the legitimacy of the tax-exempt issue and suggested it could be overcome, perhaps by setting Central Campus retail rents higher and giving the difference to the city. It's a good idea worth exploring.

During the administration of President Nan Keohane, Duke has become much more sensitive to its impact on adjacent neighborhoods and businesses. The Duke-Durham Partnership, an organization of 12 neighborhoods that works with the university to resolve planning and development issues, is an expression of that sensitivity. We expect it to continue with incoming president Richard Brodhead, who will be at the helm as the rebuilding of Central Campus begins later in this decade.

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