Community News
Community news for Grant Street is a way of keeping neighbors informed about what’s happening in and around our neighborhood—projects, events, decisions, and opportunities that impact our shared life together. It helps us stay connected, build trust, and make sure everyone has access to what they need to participate in shaping the future of our community.
Community Update: Building the Coalition Behind Hayti's Future Grocery Store
Behind every major community project are countless conversations that most people never see. In this update, we share our recent phone call with Villages of Hayti developer James Montague, along with new partnerships and ideas emerging from conversations with Duke University, Durham CAN, Black Farmers' Market, and Tall Grass Food Box as we continue organizing around Hayti's future neighborhood grocery store.
Together, these relationships are helping shape a vision that goes far beyond a grocery store—one that supports Black farmers, strengthens Durham's local food economy, expands food access, and creates new opportunities for neighbors to build a healthier, more intentional relationship with food.
A Conversation with The New York Times: When Research Is Done With Community
Grant Street Community recently sat down with The New York Times to discuss an innovative partnership with Duke University's wastewater research team and how community-driven research can help advance food justice, public health, and neighborhood development in Hayti.
The conversation explored a larger question: How can research move beyond simply studying neighborhoods to genuinely serving them? Read how trust, collaboration, and a shared vision are helping shape a new model of community-led research in Durham.
Building Partnerships for a Community-Centered Neighborhood Grocery Store
Grant Street Community recently met with Black Farmers' Market founder JaNell Henry to explore how neighborhood organizations, researchers, and community leaders can work together to bring a community-centered grocery store to the Villages of Hayti.
The conversation focused on strengthening Black food systems, supporting local farmers, identifying funding opportunities, and building the partnerships needed to ensure future development reflects the needs and vision of the Hayti community.
New Partnerships Support Grocery Store Vision for Villages of Hayti
On June 2, 2026, members of the Grant Street Community met with researchers from Duke University and leaders from Durham CAN (Durham Congregations, Associations, and Neighborhoods) to explore opportunities for strengthening food access, improving community health, and advancing efforts to bring an affordable grocery store back to the Hayti neighborhood.
Research, Relationships, and the Future of Food Access on Grant Street
On April 29th, Grant Street Community and BLK South had the opportunity to meet with a research team connected to Duke University, including researchers working on emerging data related to food access, neighborhood health, and community food environments. The conversation centered around the ongoing advocacy efforts connected to the proposed grocery store at the Villages of Hayti development and the current estimated $6 million funding gap preventing the grocery component from moving forward.
Grocery Store Opportunity In Hayti ($6M Gap)
On March 13, 2026, a couple of neighbors from the Grant Street Community had the opportunity to meet with Gerald Taylor, who is overseeing Phase I of the Villages of Hayti development along Grant Street and Umstead. During our conversation, he shared both progress and a key challenge: there is currently a $6 million funding gap preventing the inclusion of a grocery store on the west side of the development.