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.
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.
Grant Street Community Featured in The New York Times and Duke Media
Grant Street Community is receiving national attention. This Monday, The New York Times will publish a story featuring our neighborhood's partnership with Dr. Lawrence David and the Edible Atlas research team, highlighting how community-led research is strengthening the case for bringing a grocery store back to Hayti. We also recently spoke with Duke Media about how research can move beyond the university and create meaningful change at the neighborhood level.
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.
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.
Villages of Hayti Groundbreaking Marks Historic Moment for the Grant Street Community
On Wednesday, May 13, community members, residents, advocates, elected officials, and partners gathered in Durham, North Carolina to celebrate the groundbreaking of the long-awaited Villages of Hayti development — a project many in the Historic Hayti District have spent decades fighting to see become reality. Among those invited to speak were Bishop Clarence Laney Jr. of Monument of Faith Church and longtime Grant Street resident Miss Brenda Bradsher — two individuals whose steady advocacy helped keep attention on the future of Fayette Place and the surrounding Hayti community for years.
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.
Grant Street Documentary Screening
To the hundreds of neighbors, friends, partners, and supporters who joined us—thank you. Your presence at the documentary screening meant more than words can fully capture. What took place was more than an event; it was a moment of collective remembrance, gratitude, and renewed vision for what is possible in the Grant Street Community.
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.