Duke has played a significant role in the economic development in Durham. Duke University, particularly the Duke Health System, is the highest employer in the Durham area which is critical for reducing unemployment and providing thousands with financial means to contribute to the local economy. In addition to providing education, Duke is also a huge benefactor who heavily invests in downtown Durham and is involved in a wide variety of land development projects around the area. Lastly, Duke is largely responsible for transforming Durham from the city of Tobacco to the city of Medicine by attracting vast amounts of intellectual talent and providing high-quality education and opportunity to the local area. As Durham continues to experience this economic Renaissance, that has been taking place for the couple of decades or so, more business and development will continue to occur as well as population growth. One of the biggest projects that is pending within the Durham region is the light-rail project that will connect Durham and Orange county.
The economic impact of the Durham-Orange County light rail project will create a huge economic impact to the Triangle region. The increased efficiency and connectivity provided by the project will generate higher rates of economic activity and make commute times to different job locations shorter and less tiresome which will ease conditions for workers and generate increased job demand. The construction projects located on Duke’s campus will create less economic impact in the Durham community and its effects on Duke students is mixed due to the inconvenience of construction sites on campus and the longevity of the projects. Furthermore, while the projects being implemented on Duke’s campus will definitely benefit Duke students, the light rail project will also benefit Duke students as well by providing more connectivity and interaction with other local campuses.
The $1.8 billion Durham-Orange light rail project is intended to benefit the workforce as well as the intellectual community of Durham, but will essentially be able to help the average local resident/consumer as well and thus will have a higher impact on the community. However, there is a chance that many will not have immediate access to and may have to travel longer distances to use the transportation service. On the other hand, the construction efforts at Duke University, which is expected to cost approximately $500 million, is intended to only benefit the 14,000 students that currently reside on campus. While people from the Durham community are not barred from accessing these amenities, they are more likely to not benefit from these projects.
The Durham Economic and Workforce Development Office (OWED) will benefit indirectly from the light rail project due to the fact that it will increase productivity and generate higher economic activity within the Triangle region which includes the city of Durham. There will be more demand for work as well as more demand for businesses which will generate increased demand for residential spaces and other development projects. More investors will be attracted to building downtown which means more phones will be ringing off the hooks at our office and more work to be done to encourage businesses (from all over the world) to move to Durham. I can definitely say that I am excited to see such an ambitious project take fold right in front of my eyes. I can’t wait to see what Durham will look like in 10-15 years!
The economic impact of the Durham-Orange County light rail project will create a huge economic impact to the Triangle region. The increased efficiency and connectivity provided by the project will generate higher rates of economic activity and make commute times to different job locations shorter and less tiresome which will ease conditions for workers and generate increased job demand. The construction projects located on Duke’s campus will create less economic impact in the Durham community and its effects on Duke students is mixed due to the inconvenience of construction sites on campus and the longevity of the projects. Furthermore, while the projects being implemented on Duke’s campus will definitely benefit Duke students, the light rail project will also benefit Duke students as well by providing more connectivity and interaction with other local campuses.
The $1.8 billion Durham-Orange light rail project is intended to benefit the workforce as well as the intellectual community of Durham, but will essentially be able to help the average local resident/consumer as well and thus will have a higher impact on the community. However, there is a chance that many will not have immediate access to and may have to travel longer distances to use the transportation service. On the other hand, the construction efforts at Duke University, which is expected to cost approximately $500 million, is intended to only benefit the 14,000 students that currently reside on campus. While people from the Durham community are not barred from accessing these amenities, they are more likely to not benefit from these projects.
The Durham Economic and Workforce Development Office (OWED) will benefit indirectly from the light rail project due to the fact that it will increase productivity and generate higher economic activity within the Triangle region which includes the city of Durham. There will be more demand for work as well as more demand for businesses which will generate increased demand for residential spaces and other development projects. More investors will be attracted to building downtown which means more phones will be ringing off the hooks at our office and more work to be done to encourage businesses (from all over the world) to move to Durham. I can definitely say that I am excited to see such an ambitious project take fold right in front of my eyes. I can’t wait to see what Durham will look like in 10-15 years!