Our Position

• We oppose the rezoning of Heritage Square to Sterling Bay.

• We support the best possible development of Heritage Square—one that is mutually beneficial to Durham, the Hayti community, and Sterling Bay.

• We are calling on Sterling Bay to withdraw its April 8 rezoning request and engage in meaningful discussions with us to align the project with a shared vision.
   

• If Sterling Bay refuses to withdraw the application:

  • We will mobilize community resistance through public statements, media coverage, and direct advocacy with the Planning Commission.

  • We will challenge misleading claims that the community supports their proposal.

  • We will make it clear that ignoring community voices will result in direct opposition at the April 8 Planning Commission meeting.

 

Why We Oppose Rezoning

• Rezoning allows for taller, denser buildings, which will primarily serve high-income residents and businesses rather than the Hayti community.

• Without safeguards, this would drive up property values and taxes, pricing out long-time residents and Black-owned businesses.

• Sterling Bay has not committed to meaningful community ownership or economic participation, which means Hayti residents would watch wealth accumulate in their backyard without access to it.

• Sterling Bay has misrepresented community feedback by saying residents didn’t want affordable housing. In reality, the community wanted the site to generate Black wealth—not just housing.

• Rezoning does not require the inclusion of affordable housing, community-owned businesses, or wealth-building mechanisms for Black residents.

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What the Hayti Community Wants for Heritage Square

• Respect current zoning height restrictions (as of March 23, 2025).

• Mitigate traffic congestion to prevent further disruption to local residents.

• If redeveloped as a mixed-use site, the project should:

  • Include commercial and retail spaces that directly support Black-owned businesses.

  • Ensure housing affordability for residents earning below 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

  • Grant the community an opportunity to purchase 50% equity stake in the project, ensuring wealth-building opportunities.

  • Allow Hayti stakeholders to serve as co-developers, creating a truly inclusive development process.

  • Honor the history of Hayti and generate long-term economic benefits for its residents.

• Sterling Bay to withdraw its rezoning request before the April 8 planning meeting and work with Hayti Reborn to align the project with community priorities.
   

Response to Sterling Bay’s Community Benefit Offerings:

Sterling Bay has presented various community benefits, but these fail to address the core issue of wealth creation and long-term stability for Hayti residents.

• Historic Markers:

  • A symbolic gesture that does not compensate for the erasure of Hayti’s identity, especially given the planned renaming to "Carolina Research Square", which distances the site from its Black history.

• 2,000 Sq. Ft. of Free Conference Space:

  • Provides little meaningful benefit in fostering community prosperity.

• 1-Acre Pedestrian Mall:

  • Primarily benefits on-site residents and workers, not the broader Hayti community.

• Food/Grocery Store Proposal:

  • More for new development residents than the existing community.

• 1,500 Jobs & $190M Economic Impact:

  • Life sciences jobs at scale have not historically benefited local Black residents.

  • The estimated economic impact is unlikely to trickle down to Hayti without intentional local hiring and ownership structures.

  • Gentrification concerns remain unaddressed—if long-term residents are displaced, they will not benefit.

• 2,500 Sq. Ft. Discounted Retail Space:

  • Helps only one or two entrepreneurs, an insignificant portion of a 1M sq. ft. development.

• Overflow Parking for Hayti Heritage Center & St. Mark:

  • Does not address the traffic congestion concerns raised by local residents.

• Community Collaborations (3 NCCU Internships in 3 Years):

  • Inadequate progress in terms of meaningful engagement and impact.

• Black Construction Firm Partnership:

  • A positive step but does not address the core issue of community equity ownership.

• Misrepresentation of Affordable Housing Feedback:

  • Sterling Bay claims the community opposed affordable housing, when in reality, residents advocated for wealth-building opportunities.

  • Sterling Bay has denied the community an opportunity for equity ownership, contradicting their claims of fostering generational wealth.

 

What can you do

The Hayti community is not against development—it is against displacement and economic exclusion. Development must benefit Hayti’s residents, not just outside investors.

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• Contact your City Council members and Planning Commissioners and tell them to vote NO on rezoning Case #Z2400037. Let them know this proposal benefits out-of-state developers while harming the community. Find contact info here: https://www.durhamnc.gov/directory.aspx?did=131