CRAVER'S COMMENTS

November 2002

IN THIS ISSUE

·         WHERE DO YOU PUT AN OLD MALL?

·         UPDATE

·         THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

·         URBAN SPRAWL

·         WHICH WAY TO THE FUTURE

              

FUTURE ISSUES

        EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO.

 

THINGS TO BE PROUD OF

 Yours truly was installed this week as the Vice-President of the Durham Association of Realtors! I am proud to serve this fine organization that has been blessed in recent years with excellent leadership that has sought to insert the nearly 1,000-member group squarely into issues that advance the quality of life in Durham both in the present and in the future.

DID YOU KNOW?

       There is a great new restaurant in Durham celebrating its first very successful year of operation. It’s call Pao Lim and its located near the intersection of Chapel Hill Blvd. and University Dr. near Nannas. Asian cuisine with a hint of French influence is presented in a delightful setting with reasonable prices.  Try it.

 

WHERE DO YOU PUT AN OLD MALL?

         A major topic on the west side of the Triangle for more than a year has been what will happen with South Square Mall? Of course what most people wonder is what dandy new stores will go there, or will it just sit empty. The exciting news is that the mall will be torn down starting next month, and in less than two years we will be shopping at a Sam’s Club and a Super Target along with a variety of other stores and several restaurants.

    But that’s not what has been bothering me. Every time I ride by the site I look at all of that concrete and steel and wonder, where do you put a mall when you are through playing with it? I have looked around and cannot think of a hole that big anywhere in Durham County and, heaven forbid, Orange County surely would not accept our old mall parts. So I asked.  It is going to be recycled. Kudos to corporate America! Around here recyclers are pictured as individuals crunching their tofu cans. Even though these folks deserve credit for raising the consciousness of Americans about recycling, recycling was not going to work in a big way until corporate America and technology combined to make it profitable to do so. Here is what they are going to do. First the hazardous stuff is being removed and will be properly disposed of. Then all of the steel will be extracted to be sold as seconds, or melded and reformed. All of the concrete will be ground up (we are talking a real big blender) and used in making highway pavement. I feel better already.

 

UPDATE

The American Tobacco Project is now in full swing. They announced their fourth major business tenant recently. McKinney & Silver, a national advertising firm, has joined Duke University, Glaxo-Smith-Cline, and Compuware. Together they represent over 1,000 new corporate employees working downtown. Things are looking up in downtown Durham, literally. Still in line to start construction this year is the twin tower to the Durham Center (the 14 story stone and glass building across from the Civic Center) as well as the twin 27-story towers next to the North Carolina Mutual Life building.

     After thirty years of arguing, the Highway Dept. and the residents of the north Durham area have finally reached a consensus on a highway plan.  The emphasis will be on completing the East End Connector (Durham Freeway to US 70 and the Northeast Loop to connect RTP with north Durham. The light rail system is actually alive and well and pushing toward your first ride in 2007.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

 The Good:  In a normal off year election, 27 % of the registered voters show up at the polls. In the recent election Durham led the entire state with a 51% turnout.

 The Bad: 49% did not bother to vote.  Durham is poised on the brink of becoming the brightest shining star in the state and the region when you consider the hundreds of millions of dollars corporate America is preparing to invest in the city. It could become a leader in business, research, academics, shopping and residential growth. The possibility exists that this truly multi-cultural and internationally flavored city could become the best example around of how all types of people come together to create a wonderful place to live. 

  Now the Ugly. The current city government seems to be shooting itself in the foot with scandal, indecision, corruption and old-fashioned greed. What has happened is that so many of the newcomers to the area just enjoy living, working and shopping here and have not yet realized they need to become involved in giving back to the community. Hopefully they will realize this need before the next set of elections so that Durham can take that next step to greatness.

 

URBAN SPRAWL

          In a recently publicized national poll the Triangle ranked third as an example of urban sprawl, just behind the second ranked Triad area of North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Greensboro & High Point). Now this polls intention was to be very critical of this type of existence. I personally think our urban sprawl is one our most attractive features. The Triangle, like the Triad, is unique because we do not have a center core to grow around. Instead we offer four very unique and distinctively different communities in which to live. Combined they offer every advantage that any major metropolitan area could offer without so many of the hassles of big city life. Here you are never very far from the peaceful countryside. Newcomers to the area are always amazed that when they drive I-40 through the middle of 1.2 million people, all they see are trees. We are not just concrete and steel. Part of the beauty of this area is the planning we have used to create that great blend of environmental consciousness and abundant growth. To do this right takes a little urban sprawl. People from all over the country continue to want to live here so we must be doing something right.

WHICH WAY TO THE FUTURE

      I had the privilege recently of listening to one of the premier developers in the region discuss which way the future growth was headed. According to him the future is Chatham County. It seems there are a lot of plans in the works for large high-class developments in the near future. New highways and an upcoming new high school and lots of beautiful rolling woodlands are providing the temptation. The new political climate  also seems to favor responsible growth.