Charlotte-based Spectrum Companies has broken ground on Vara Trinity Park, a 267-unit apartment complex at 1618 N. Duke St. on the northern edge of Trinity Park. The site sits next to a church and about a quarter mile from the former Northgate Mall, in a stretch that connects historic single-family blocks with one of Durham's largest active redevelopment zones.
The project will rise as three 4- and 5-story buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. No rent levels have been announced. About 20% of units are planned for households earning around 60% of area median income, roughly $48,600 for an individual or $69,360 for a family of four, through a public-private partnership with the Durham Housing Authority.
Michael Simmons, Spectrum's senior director of development, cited Durham's population growth, job base, and Research Triangle proximity as drivers. "We believe this community will add to Trinity Park's already rich fabric," he said.
The project lands in a corridor under pressure. Walltown, just to the west, has shifted from about 60% Black in the 1990s to about 53% white as of 2023, with median household income climbing to about $83,000. At a recent city council meeting, residents said they fear more development will continue pushing out longtime neighbors. Many in the area were also frustrated last month when Florida-based Regency Centers announced that Target will anchor the Northgate Mall redevelopment, a plan they had hoped would include affordable housing, a library branch, a grocery store, and a primary-care clinic.
Separately, the Durham Housing Authority is moving through a $200 million, four-phase overhaul of its own housing stock. The Vanguard Apartments reopened in May with 72 units, rents ranging from $1,000 to $1,700 a month, and most units already full. Officials also recently broke ground on the Dillard Street Apartments next door, which will add 146 units with market-rate rent running nearly $1,400 a month. The next phase, Commerce Street Apartments, is expected to open in 2026 with 172 units. When complete, the full project will replace 214 old units with 538 homes, 348 of them affordable.
"We are just building communities that are totally inclusive of the entire community," said Anthony Snell, interim CEO of the Durham Housing Authority. "That's where we think we're going to have our success."