Preservation Durham announced its 2012 Places in Peril list at its annual meeting Wednesday (May 16th) at Pop’s, the third year it has designated historic Durham properties with perilous futures. Six places are on the list, from a downtown railway to a rural farmstead. The 2.2 mile railway corridor known locally as the Durham Beltline, has not seen rail use in several years but still has tracks and is owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC). The City of Durham attempted to buy the corridor from NSC in 2005 and as recently as late 2011 held discussions with them on purchase/lease options but the two groups are far apart on price. The Beltline would make a fine rail-trail and could connect to the City’s greenway system. TRTC, North Carolina Rail-Trails and the Durham Open Space and Trails Committee have been involved in advocacy for this acquisition and will continue to work with other partners such as Preservation Durham on trying to raise awareness and public interest on this project.
Preservation Durham Leading Efforts on The Durham Beltline
