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.
A Conversation with Ryan Smith and Sarah Viñas About Unhoused Neighbors and the Former Boys & Girls Club
Grant Street Community and BLK South recently met with Durham Community Safety Director Ryan Smith to discuss a community-centered vision for the former Boys & Girls Club and learn how Durham is supporting neighbors experiencing homelessness. Although Housing & Neighborhood Services Director Sarah Viñas was unable to attend, we look forward to continuing the conversation with her and other City and community partners.
Haven Design Build Offers Support for the Boys & Girls Club Vision
An encouraging conversation with Haven Design Build brought valuable insight, potential planning support, and promising new connections for the former Boys & Girls Club property. This relationship marks another meaningful step toward transforming the site into a community-centered space shaped by the vision and needs of Grant Street residents.
Meeting with Maggie Kane, Founder of A Place at the Table
Just days after Grant Street residents voted to explore a future Boys & Girls Club centered on food, hospitality, and support for our unhoused neighbors, we sat down with Maggie Kane, founder of Raleigh's nationally recognized A Place at the Table. Her insights affirmed much of what our neighborhood envisioned while offering practical lessons about creating a pay-what-you-can café, building community through dignity and belonging, and partnering across sectors to make this kind of vision sustainable. Here's what we learned—and how it may shape the future of 808 E. Pettigrew Street.
How Grant Street Community Is Preparing for the Future of the Boys & Girls Club
For decades, neighbors in Durham's historic Hayti District have dreamed of bringing a Boys & Girls Club back to the community. As that vision moves closer to reality, the Grant Street Community is beginning the important work of listening, planning, and building alongside residents and partners to ensure this becomes more than a building—it becomes a lasting community asset shaped by the people it serves.
Communicating a Desired Partnership with Durham Housing Authority
What does it look like for neighbors to have a seat at the table? This week, members of the Grant Street Community attended the Durham Housing Authority Board meeting to advocate for opportunities that support neighborhood wealth-building, student housing, local property management, and the future Villages of Hayti grocery store. We left encouraged by a positive response from the Board and hopeful about building a stronger partnership as Hayti's future continues to unfold.
Building Partnerships for Housing Solutions
Behind the scenes, we're building new partnerships to explore long-term housing solutions for our neighborhood's unhoused neighbors. A recent meeting with the City of Durham's Housing & Neighborhood Services Department opened the door to conversations about what's possible for Grant Street Community.
From tiny home villages and nonprofit partnerships to potential funding and local development, we're connecting people who share a vision for housing rooted in dignity, stability, and community. While these conversations are still in the early stages, we're excited to keep neighbors informed as new opportunities emerge.
The Story of 702 & 704 Grant Street
On March 20, 2026, the Grant Street community gathered to celebrate something both historic and deeply rooted in years of quiet, persistent work—a new kind of home on a familiar street.
The open house, led by Durham Community Land Trustees, marked the unveiling of 702 and 704 Grant Street: a first-of-its-kind detached duplex in the Hayti community.