• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

DataWorks NC

Serving neighbors and neighborhoods, nonprofits, and local governments. Our mission is to democratize data to facilitate an empowered, productive, and equitable community

  • About Us
    • Engage Communities
    • Data Tools
  • Work With Us
  • News
  • Reports & Presentations
  • Evictions in Durham
  • Contact
  • Support Our Work
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Walltown Community Association and the Northgate Mall

In July 2020, the Walltown Community Association (WCA) organized with other Durham residents to form the Northgate Mall Neighborhood Council (NMNC), which includes a total of 12 residents from across seven neighborhoods: Walltown, Northgate Park, Duke Park, Trinity Park, Trinity Heights, Watts Hospital Hillandale, and Old West Durham. The purpose of the NMNC was to spatialize a collective community vision–centered around Walltown’s strategic goals–for the redevelopment of the mall property by creating a set of potential site plans that could be uses to engage with the property owners and stakeholders (Northwood Investors, Duke University, and the City and County of Durham). We recently accomplished this goal through a design charrette held on September 18-19, 2020, where, assisted by a design team from NC State, we produced three alternative maps of the new Northgate. See the maps below reflecting Wlltown’s visions for the design of the new Northgate.

BACKGROUND

  • Click here to view Walltown Community Association’s Vision document.
  • Click here to see the timeline for Walltown’s work related to Northgate Mall.

Contact the Walltown Community Association at walltownnorthgatecmte[at]gmail.com

Since the sale of Northgate Mall in 2018, the Walltown Community Association (WCA) has been hard at work understanding the needs, concerns, and desires of neighborhood residents. During that time, WCA have gathered over 200 surveys from Walltown residents, spoken with people who use and work at the mall, and hosted several community meetings to collectively process the potential changes. DataWorks has provided support in interpreting the survey responses and helping frame this moment with our resources.

WHY A WALLTOWN-DRIVEN VISION?

Walltown was founded in 1906 by George Wall, a formerly enslaved man who moved to Durham to work for Trinity College (eventually Duke University). Since then, the neighborhood has been home to generations of Black working-class families who, in the face of structural racism, have embodied a spirit of self-determination and resilience . When Northgate Mall, under the ownership of the Rand family, sought to encroach upon residential space, residents organized to keep their land. Now that the mall is in a state of transition, Walltown has organized again.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

WALLTOWN COMMUNITY SURVEY

Community-developed, resident-populated survey on Northgate Mall development plans → Data collection as activism.

Who are the respondents?

  • 62% of community members have lived in Walltown over 10 years
  • 24% for over 30 years
  • Many for their whole lives, 5% for multiple generations

NORTHGATE MALL SURVEY

Who are the respondents? 50 employees and shoppers at Northgate Mall.

WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE…

52% said “affordable housing”

48% said “affordable retail”

35% said “safe walking/transportation”

34% said “access to healthcare”

WHAT THEY DON’T WANT TO SEE…

71% said “luxury/expensive housing”

59% said “luxury/expensive retail”

49% said “liquor retail”

45% said “tobacco retail

HERE’S WHAT THEY SAY… about the Northgate Mall development

“Gentrification has already taken hold…I don’t know what to be concerned about. ”

“Will key decision-makers adopt the desires of long-time and invested residents of Walltown? How can the residents make their voices heard?”

“It needs to benefit children with a college or trade school that will help the kids who cannot afford scholarships to attend classes to get jobs.”

“Can we think of a way to make money while also doing what’s right for the community?”

“I’m concerned that the developer does not respect or understand the community, and as a result will change the community for the worse.”

“My concerns would be traffic down our residential street and the loss of retail, homes, and shared space used by our community.”

“On the first floor, something like a food hall like what Raleigh has but with diverse restaurants: first-time restaurant entrepreneurs, equally divided minority representation like 10 or 20 Black or Latino restaurants each.  There would also be minority individual owned small businesses, since the spaces are so small like in the food court it would be good for new start up businesses. No chain restaurants at all.

On the second floor of the building, it would be a museum of different heritages like showing the history of Walltown from its founding to now; museum/exhibits showing African American leaders in Durham, Black Wall Street, and history of poverty in NC and Durham; plus art shops with local artists.  There could also be a fitness center on the 2nd floor as this would help draw a diverse crowd to the museum on that floor.  Also, on the property somewhere, maybe near the chow/food hall, there would be a small business resource support center.

Then the third floor could be dedicated to providing various types of help: mental health services, dental clinic, job seeking services, etc.  Maybe the larger businesses that come into the space could help provide a small percentage to help fund some of the other areas, like the museum and help services.  Some parts of this should be open 24 hours, like the food hall.” 

Residents from across Durham joined Walltown on February 17, 2020 to review and respond to this vision.

“Memorial of George Wall and history of Black Wall Street; Affordable Retail like a food co-op that’s affordable or affordable grocery story like an ALDI; community garden for after school fun like what they have at SEEDS; a place where people of different backgrounds can come together and share information and skills; A Montessori School that caters to minorities and is affordable.

Then at the top should be affordable housing – there should be more affordable housing on this property than anything else.  

The maintenance for the building should be done by hiring local, like the window cleaning, etc.  No matter what they do they should look to local hiring first, specifically Walltown. They should keep the movie theater, and have motivational speakers.  The building should be eco-friendly, like reuse of the runoff water from the roof or solar panels and other energy efficiency.  This would help keep the costs down for the rent for the small businesses who want to use the space.”

“Affordable housing; park and green space; accessible to lower-income and middle income people; it should be something for the people who live here”

SMALL BUSINESS & LOCAL JOBS

“It should stay Northgate Mall – a place to afford to buy clothes for myself and my daughter; a place where I can afford to eat breakfast, like PanPan’s used to be; a place where I can get the things I need without having to drive across town, which is what will happen it leaves”

Census tracts people commute to Walltown from for work. (LEHD, 2017)
Census tracts Walltown residents commute to for work. (LEHD, 2017)

“Small business incubator, ninja gym, expanded restaurant options, continued theater presence, non-profit incubator, free to low cost community center space venue, food bank distribution site, housing for mid to low income seniors, housing for low income families and helping professionals (i.e. nurses, police, firemen, teachers, social workers)”

AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGES

From the year 2000 to 2018, manufacturing jobs decreased in Durham County by 39.7% (from 38,120 to 22,994). During the same period of time, the number of food service and accommodation jobs increased by 69.1% (from 9,463 to 16,001). Retail positions increased in number by 9.4% (from 13,340 to 14,589.

As of 2017, there were 1132 jobs in the Walltown and Northgate Mall area (see map nearby). Retail Trade accounted for the highest proportion of those (34.7%) with 393 jobs. Accommodation and Food Service is the second-highest source of employment for people coming here to work, with 269 jobs (23.8% of all jobs).

Over the last two decades these essential services have provided essential income for people all over Durham but the buying-power of their wages has been turbulent and – in the case of Food Service –  decreased over time.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Property tax increases contribute directly to the threat of displacement, driving up costs for homeowners on fixed and low incomes – while the same costs get passed on to renters as well.

“A mixed use development with a vernacular that blends with the surrounding neighborhoods. As is currently in place, there is a need for small spaces for small business owners plus mid size stores that will provide employment for many of those that currently work there. Northgate has always created seasonal events for the gathering of many neighbors to enjoy music, walking clubs and senior groups.  If possible, include second floor small apartments above commercial units for both security and opportunities to live and work in close proximity.”

Particularly for Walltown residents north of Club Boulevard, rents have become burdensome in recent years.
twitter icon

latest tweets

@planning_troll There's also this one in the NC legislature now too, that would block purchases for owners of 100 or more homes. ncleg.gov/Sessions/2…

RT @GeogSara Folks! Since fall @daniellepurifoy & I have been working to launch a UNC Landback Abolition Project. Join us! Our classes are doing research for justice in service to those in relation to UNC near & far. We are soliciting community-driven questions: docs.google.com/form… pic.twitter.com/Beut…

RT @mcclure_libby Two panels on environmental justice struggles in Badin, NC March 9 registration link: bit.ly/3Yiou9p March 20 registration link: bit.ly/3JtQHWw pic.twitter.com/q8YN…

"We cannot expect anyone – students or ourselves – to understand problems we are no longer permitted to name or to prepare for a future we cannot imagine." Join DataWorks on this petition to the College Board bit.ly/NoErasure theguardian.com/comm…

RT @MarcusSouthern1 “This redevelopment has to create connection for the community and that starts with people being able to afford to live here,” Williams said. Stay connected at Walltown.net cbs17.com/news/local…

Follow @DataWorks_NC

Copyright © 2023 DataWorks NC · All Rights Reserved · Website by Code the Dream & Tomatillo Design