Media Advisory: Trinity Heights Homes Open House Nov. 14

Duke University and the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership Initiative will celebrate the completion of the award-winning Trinity Heights Homes employee housing project at 3:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 14, with a neighborhood open house.

Executive Vice President Tallman Trask will host the event. Invited guests include President Nannerl O. Keohane, developer Bob Chapman and residents of the Trinity Heights Homes neighborhood. A tour of one of the homes will take place at 3:30 p.m.

The open house will begin at 1516 W. Markham St. Parking is available at Asbury United Methodist Church on West Markham Street.

Planning for the 40-unit development - 25 detached, single-family homes and 15 townhouses - on formerly vacant property adjacent to Duke's East Campus was started in 1998. The university also renovated and sold nine existing homes in the Trinity Heights neighborhood. The goal of the project is to encourage Duke employees to move close to campus and to stabilize the neighborhood by increasing the number of owner-occupied homes. Restrictive covenants require the homes only be sold, or re-sold, to Duke employees and that owners live in the homes.

The Historic Preservation Society of Durham recognized the project in 2000 with its George and Mary Pyne Historic Preservation Award. The Durham-Orange Home Builders Association awarded a gold medal to one of the houses in its Fall 2000 Parade of Homes.

Thirty-three of the 40 units have been sold or are under contract; another five are under reservation. One townhouse and one lot for a single-family remain available.

The media is invited to cover the open house. Please contact Susan Kauffman at (919) 681-8975 to make arrangements.

For more information, contact Duke's Office of Real Estate Administration at (919) 684-6420 or visit the development's web site at http://www.realestate.duke.edu.