Durham city and county leaders met Wednesday to discuss the future of the former Northgate Mall site, located on a 59-acre site just two miles from Durham City Hall.

Among the city’s concerns are concerns from residents of Durham’s Walltown neighborhood, who have been working for years on a plan for a small area that prioritizes affordable housing, retail, green space and environmental sustainability .

Durham residents have strong opinions about what should be developed on the site of the former mall, hoping the new small area plan will provide guardrails as ownership changes.

Walltown resident Brandon Williams told WRAL News the plan prioritizes creating a 15-minute community, where residents can access their daily needs within 15 minutes of walking, biking or transiting in common.

“If we can create a space on this new commercial site that says working class people are welcome here, and (if) we’re going to provide not only the housing but also the retail and other amenities that you will be able to benefit as you would anyone else…that’s what’s important and powerful about this being Walltown-specific,” Williams said.

Plans for the former mall property changed several times after pushback from residents.

Northwood Investors, a developer, purchased the shopping center in 2018. The developer’s plans include affordable housing for seniors, but neighbors would like to see more, including green space, especially with two nearby parks closed due to lead.

“If we know they’re going to be closed for a period of time, it’s worth leveraging that in the conversation with the developer to really get green space,” Williams said.

The site is privately owned, but Williams and others hope the plan can provide a vision that elected officials can follow.

“It’s not legally binding, but it does give some sort of official planning policy (and) guidance to council members when they’re faced with decisions about rezoning the site,” Williams said.

Residents of Durham’s Walltown neighborhood have been working on a plan for a small area for years, and Durham officials are close to approving their policy directions for development.

The former Northgate Mall property is just part of Walltown residents’ plan: They also plan to improve nearby neighborhoods.

Neighbors hope Durham City Council could approve their plan by the end of summer.