Web Site Guide | News | About OWDNA | Neighborhood Info | Photographs of OWD | Media Spotlight | Citizen Resources | Home Letter: Duke has visions of retail Herald-Sun, Sunday, 20 February 2005 Duke repeatedly saying its plans for Central Campus are a "blank canvas" is surprising for those of us in the Duke-Durham partnership neighborhoods who've spent months negotiating with Duke about campus land use plans. If the canvas is blank, why is Duke trying to get retail on Central Campus? * At the very beginning of discussions with partnership neighborhoods, Duke's architect went behind our backs and asked local planning officials to change the proposed university-college zoning ordinance to allow unlimited retail on campus. * Soon thereafter, the head of Duke community affairs stated that significant retail would be appropriate on Central Campus because of the new regional rail station coming to Ninth Street. * A year later, Tallman Trask suggested at a forum that Duke may ask local officials to designate Central Campus as "general commercial" (which would allow unlimited retail). Duke's "blank canvas" argument is designed for public consumption. It's an insult to all the neighborhood representatives who have spent countless hours on Central Campus land use plans. Are Duke officials actually suggesting the results of all those efforts are now meaningless? Duke officials have known that on-campus retail has been an important issue since February 2003. Yet, at this week's forum, Duke refused (again) to take "general commercial" or "mixed use" zoning designations off the table. Both categories would allow heavy retail on Central Campus (i.e., retail that's above and beyond the school's academic mission). Creating a Duke retail cocoon (without having to pay property taxes) would keep more money on campus. Duke can begin to build back trust by committing to a "University-College" zoning for Central Campus. JOHN SCHELP DURHAM Back to top