Duke Laundry May House Senior Citizens

DURHAM - Duke University plans to give the former medical center laundry to the Durham Housing Authority to turn into housing for low-income senior citizens. Local government officials and residents in the Burch Avenue neighborhood say the process of working with Duke on this project makes them want to explore further ways of partnering with the university.

Members of the Durham Planning Commission have unanimously approved two separate rezoning and special use reviews for the property. The Durham City Council is expected to approve the recommendations at its meeting Dec. 2.

"I think it is a great proposal," said Councilman Howard Clement, who praised Duke and the Durham Housing Authority for working cooperatively to help people in need. "There's no question the community needs more affordable housing, especially for our senior citizens."

If the city council approves the necessary zoning changes, Duke will hand over the laundry, valued at about $400,000, for a nominal amount and the cost of legal fees associated with the transfer. James Tabron, the director of the Durham Housing Authority, said, at that point, he will pursue tax credits from the state housing finance agency to turn the 1960s-era industrial building into as many as 48 apartments.

"We are optimistic we are not only going to be able to design an attractive, functional complex, but get the funds to make it come together," Tabron said. "We have a waiting list of seniors who need public housing."

The idea of productively using the former laundry to benefit Durham came from Bill Donelan, chief financial officer for the Duke University Health System. Once the medical center opened its new laundry near Durham Technical College about two years ago, Donelan suggested that the old building and parking lot, which sits on 3.5 acres in the corner of the Burch Avenue neighborhood, be used to further the goals of the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership. Through the partnership, the university works with 12 neighborhoods near campus, including Burch Avenue, to improve the quality of life.

Increasing affordable housing opportunities, improving the stability of neighborhoods, and bringing services to senior citizens were among priorities identified by Neighborhood Partnership residents in 1996. To date, Duke has helped finance more than 40 affordable houses in the Walltown neighborhood near East Campus. In the Burch Avenue neighborhood, Duke donated a property for a community garden and sold about 10 properties at much reduced rates to low-income homeowners.

Providing health care for underserved populations is also a Duke priority. To that end, the university will also consider installing a medical clinic at the seniors' residence, said Duke officials. "This will enable us to offer more services to seniors," said Michael Palmer, director of Duke's Office of Community Affairs.

The laundry renovation is not the first time the Durham Housing Authority has worked with Duke. Duke provided design expertise for the Preiss-Steele Place, a "housing with services" community for older adults of modest income, named after Jack Preiss, a Duke professor emeritus of sociology.

"That experience with Duke proved very helpful and attracted national recognition for a very attractive community facility," Tabron said. "The people who live there enjoy it and its desirable amenities. I hope to forge much greater interaction between the Durham Housing Authority and Duke for the benefit of all."

Others who say they welcome the conversion of the laundry include residents of Burch Avenue. The laundry always seemed out-of-place in the residential neighborhood of about 250 people, said Mark Eckert, president of the Burch Avenue Neighborhood Association.

"Residents got along with people who worked there but didn't really appreciate the laundry trucks running up and down the street," Eckert said. "When Duke floated idea of senior housing, we thought that as long as the building was there, this was a constructive use for it."

When Duke closed the laundry, there were concerns that the vacant building would attract crime, Eckert said, and then, that even the senior housing project would attract criminals who wanted to prey on a vulnerable population.

Duke, however, has agreed that if the project becomes a reality, it will install lights on the footpath connecting the facility to Campus Drive. In addition, at the recommendation of Duke Police Chief Clarence Birkhead, the proposal includes 24-hour on-site security, which Eckert said he hopes will benefit the neighborhood.

"We hope it will have some halo effect and that criminals may not come to the neighborhood at all, know that there will be on site security personnel," Eckert said. "I think there are lots of possibilities for cooperation between Duke and the neighborhood, on such issues as community policing."