The former Ramada Inn and Crown Park Hotel at 600 Willard Street is no more. It was built in 1973. According to Open Durham.org, the site is home to 3.71 acres of prime real estate at South Duke Street and the Durham Freeway on land that had been cleared by urban renewal.

photo by Darrin Mann

photo by Darrin Mann

photo by Darrin Mann

photo by Darrin Mann
Open Durham has numerous photographs of the old houses that stood on the property in the 1960’s.

400 block Yancey St. seen in 1965 before the Durham Freeway via Open Durham
Alliance Residential Company acquired the property for $10.5 million and will be transforming it into a 342-unit luxury community. The previous owner paid $7.6 million for the property in 2015. Alliance Residential Company is one of the largest private multifamily companies in the U.S. with more than $10 billion worth of real estate in its portfolio.
The new construction will offer studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom options. The plan is to call it Broadstone Durham. Rather than drawing on Durham’s historical roots, traditional tobacco warehouses, or brick looks, the design team took their inspiration from the less than ten year-old Durham Performing Arts Center nearby. As such, Broadstone Durham will feature a three-story glass entry for the community.

Image courtesy of Alliance Residential Company
The plans submitted to the city include two towers; one seven stories, the other five stories, 440 parking spaces, multiple courtyards, and a pool.
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