Central Campus Rezone

Colleges & Universities Duke University
1

<p>The Durham Planning Commission recommended that the City Council reject the proposed rezone of the Duke University Central Campus.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=1593&topicId=21355&docId=l:517873046[/url]”>http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=1593&topicId=21355&docId=l:517873046&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2

<p>Grrrr. Here’s a student’s point of view. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2006/10/13/Columns/Wheres.Our.Franklin.Street-2349538.shtml?norewrite200610232049&sourcedomain=www.dukechronicle.com[/url]”>http://www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2006/10/13/Columns/Wheres.Our.Franklin.Street-2349538.shtml?norewrite200610232049&sourcedomain=www.dukechronicle.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Duke University has donated $5.5 million to the City of Durham’s proposed performing arts center. The project is still $2 million short.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-777118.html[/url]”>http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-777118.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>So, the city is holding talks with Duke proposing that Duke pay $2 million to improve Anderson Street between south Erwin and Duke University. This would free up $2 million of city funds for the performing arts center and the city’s goal would be met.</p>

<p>Of course, the street would still remain city owned.</p>

4

<p>Meaaaaaaaaaaaaaan, mean, mean green. Sigh. At some point I would like to do some research on what Duke gives to the community and what the community gives to Duke. The Duke-Durham partnership and things like it are great, but I do wish that Duke didn’t always have to jump through such arbitrary hoops to improve the Duke and Durham communities simultaneously.</p>

5

<p>Here’s what one of the neighborhoods that benefit from the Duke-Durham Partnership has to say. Take a look at all the photos of empty storefronts. They state they are paying more than their fair share to support the city and county as Duke University pays no property taxes:</p>

<p><a href=“owdna.org”>owdna.org;

<p>Read their accomplishments that they see as victories that impact Duke University. One of those is for Duke police to patrol 9th Street Thursdays through Saturdays at, of course, no cost to the city of Durham or the neighborhood which advocated against the Central Campus rezoning:</p>

<p><a href=“owdna.org”>owdna.org;

<p>Duke’s economic impact on Durham is $3.2 billion dollars for the fiscal year 2004-2005 according to a study done by Duke’s Office of Public Affairs. I think the economic contribution made by Duke far outweighs any property tax issue, especially since much of the land would be classified as agriculatural. 15% of all Durham County residents are employed by Duke University:</p>

<p><a href=“http://dukenews.duke.edu/2006/04/economic_impact.html[/url]”>http://dukenews.duke.edu/2006/04/economic_impact.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>nooooo! i love the proposed plan.</p>