In September 2021, the NC House and Senate passed a bill that allows for social districts in North Carolina. DDI is in the information gathering phase in preparation for working with our partners at the city on whether and/or how to implement a social district downtown. We started by surveying downtown businesses (results here), and now we want to hear from residents, visitors and the general public. Here's your chance to share your thoughts on this important topic.

In brief, a social district is a defined outdoor area in which a person may consume alcoholic beverages sold by an ABC permittee. This area is separate from areas already permitted for outdoor dining. In practical terms, this means a customer could purchase a drink from one merchant and consume it in a public space, retail outlet or participating other venue located within the social district. Want more information? Here's an FAQ document with additional details.

Please take just a moment to complete the one-minute survey, and enter to win a $50 SpendaBull card!

In last month's One-Minute Survey, we asked what outdoor activities you want to see more of downtown when it warms up.

Here's how you rated our ideas...

...and here are a few of yours:

To get you started on your outdoor adventures, here's a list of public plazas, trails, parks and green spaces in and adjacent to downtown:

Don't Miss the Last Weekend of Downtown Durham Feast!

Eat or drink downtown and enter to win our grand prize of a one-night stay at a downtown hotel, a gift basket with samples of goodies from downtown retailers and a $100 SpendaBull e-gift card, accepted by 50+ downtown merchants.

This week's bonus drawing is for residents of downtown and nearby neighborhoods (within a 2-mile radius of Major the Bull). Win a one-night stay at 21c Hotel, a gift basket and a SpendaBull. Send in your receipts by Sunday night, and good luck!

Do you ever wonder as you pass a construction site (or many construction sites) downtown, "What are they building there?" Our development map has the answers. Click on the hammer icons to learn more about developments that are under construction. The pushpin icon is for projects still in the planning phase. Building icons indicate completed projects.

Pictured: The old SouthBank building is being demolished to make room for The Novus, a 27-story residential development with ground floor retail.

Effective March 7, 2022, the county ended its mask mandate. While visitors to city facilities will no longer be required to wear masks indoors, city employees will continue to wear masks through March 21. According to federal and CDC guidelines, masks are still required at healthcare facilities and on all public transportation. View the full press release or information about COVID-19 vaccines and resources.

Visit our website to stay up to date on weekly case counts and averages.

The Downtown Durham Event Calendar is the place for downtown venues, retailers, restaurants and residents to promote events. Submit your upcoming events today!

View the Traffic Report calendar online...

DDI's pedestrian counters were installed to assist businesses in determining appropriate hours and staffing levels. For additional information, like hourly counts or trends, BID constituents may request a custom report. Contact Rebekah Mixon to request a report.

▶ Location 1: 21c Hotel

▶ Location 2: Chesterfield Building

▶ Location 3: Foster on the Park Apartments

▶ Location 4: Marriott City Center

Bundles of this great customer service tool are available to downtown merchants, and you can also download an always up-to-date, printer-friendly version and browse the web map at downtowndurham.com/map.

Contact Patrick Holt to order a bundle or suggest revisions.

The following businesses recently opened or closed in downtown Durham.

With all this renewed activity comes increased levels of trash that we all need to help keep in check. There are hundreds of black streetscape trash cans throughout the BID that we encourage you to use for any loose trash you generate while downtown. Please keep bags of household trash, furniture, yard waste and construction debris out of them. If you have questions about how to dispose of these items, please reach out to me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to help you.