Liberty Street/519 East Main Street Notice of Intent
Notice of Intent to Enter into Memorandum of Agreement with North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office for Liberty Street / 519 East Main Street
Please be advised that a Public Notice for 519 East Main and Liberty Street Apartments (below) can be found as a News Flash (post) on the City of Durham Community Development Department website.
The City of Durham is providing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME Investment Partnership Funds to the Durham Housing Authority for the redevelopment of 519 East Main Street (formerly Oldham Towers) and Liberty Street Apartments. The proposed activities include the demolition of historic structures and will have an adverse effect. The Public Notice provides information for commenting on the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and mitigation strategies. The comment period is from October 29, 2020, through November 13, 2020.
Please contact Sarah Zinn, Contracts & Compliance Manager, via email with any questions or comments regarding the proposed MOA.
Notice of Intent to Enter into Memorandum of Agreement with North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer
October 29, 2020
This notice is to inform the public and citizens of the City of Durham that the City of Durham (City) will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) for the resolution of effects at 519 Main Street (formerly Oldham Towers) and Liberty Street Apartments.
An environmental review is required for this site as the Durham Housing Authority is using U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Public Housing Funds and the City of Durham is providing HUD HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds. As part of the environmental review, a Historic Structure Survey Report was completed for the Oldham Towers and Liberty Street site at the request of the SHPO. The report found that the Oldham Towers development is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its relevance to Urban Renewal and public housing policy in the City of Durham and under Criterion C for architecture. The Liberty Street Apartments are eligible for the National Register under Criterion A, for their association with Urban Renewal and public housing policy in Durham, as part of the as part of the overall development site. The proposed activities will include demolition of both historic properties.
The proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is now available for review. The MOA is a contract between the City of Durham (City) and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) stipulating specific measures that must be implemented in order to adequately avoid or satisfactorily mitigate any adverse effect on historic properties.
The City will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 6:00 PM to discuss the proposed MOA and mitigation strategies. To obtain a copy of the proposed MOA or to register to attend the public meeting, please use the contact information below. The City will be receiving comments on the proposed MOA from October 29, 2020 until 5:00 PM on November 13, 2020. Please contact Sarah Zinn, Contracts & Compliance Manager, in writing via email with any questions or comments regarding the proposed PA.
Contact Information:
Sarah D. Zinn
Contract & Compliance Manager
City of Durham • Department of Community Development
516 Rigsbee Avenue
Durham, NC 27701
