Crescent Communities Breaks Ground on Triangle’s NOVEL UHill, a Community Celebrating Curiosity, Creativity, and Connection
DURHAM, North Carolina (June 25, 2025): Crescent Communities, a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer, and operator of mixed-use communities, yesterday broke ground on NOVEL UHill, a new multifamily community in Durham’s University Hill neighborhood. Marking Crescent’s third entry into the Triangle, following the debut of NOVEL Morrisville earlier this spring and NOVEL Cary, both of which are currently leasing, NOVEL UHill will offer a distinctly local living experience inspired by the energy and creativity of its surrounding neighborhood.
Slated to deliver its first residences in late 2026, NOVEL UHill will bring 400 residences to a six-and-a-half-acre site just minutes from the region’s premier research, medical, and academic institutions. The five-story midrise building will include studio to three-bedroom options, along with 19 freestanding townhomes offering two- and three-bedroom layouts.
With the neighborhood anchored by the nationally celebrated UHill Walls, a 40,000-square-foot public art installation featuring murals from acclaimed local and global artists, NOVEL UHill will seamlessly integrate visual art and creative expression into the resident experience. Original works will be curated throughout the property, enriching daily life with moments of inspiration and reinforcing the neighborhood’s status as a destination for design and discovery.
“Breaking ground at NOVEL UHill represents more than the start of construction – it’s the beginning of a community designed to engage residents’ imaginations,” said Michael Tubridy, Managing Director for North Carolina at Crescent Communities. “With roots in Durham’s unique character and a deep appreciation for its thriving creative and academic energy, NOVEL UHill will serve as a home where curiosity is celebrated and where residents feel encouraged to explore, connect, and grow.”
Amenities at NOVEL UHill are crafted to spark resident interaction and curiosity at every turn, including:
- Indoor-outdoor 1,450-square-foot Sky Lounge complete with a fireplace and sweeping views of the neighborhood
- Community clubroom including a makerspace for hands-on activities and creative engagement
- 1,750-square-foot resort-style pool with chaise lounges, a grilling station, and surrounding greenery
- Futuristic fitness studio featuring private yoga rooms
- Competitive table tennis area
- Coworking lounge designed for modern work-from-home professionals
- Two large outdoor courtyards with play equipment, shaded seating, fire pits, grilling stations, an outdoor TV, and art installations.
- Fenced-in dog park
- Land of a Thousand Hills coffee shop
Residents will also enjoy a robust calendar of enriching programming – from speaker series and pop-up events to clubs, workshops, and curated excursions – designed to build community and foster personal growth.
Financial partners on the project include Kyuden Urban Development America, LLC, the US subsidiary of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc., and NEC Capital Solutions America, Inc., the US subsidiary of NEC Capital Solutions Limited, with debt financing provided by Santander Bank. Crescent Communities Construction will serve as the development’s general contractor, making NOVEL UHill the 16th multifamily community built by the organization’s in-house construction company. Nationally ranked design firm KTGY is serving as the project’s architect and Kimley Horn & Associates will conduct civil engineering and landscape architecture.
Crescent Communities has been developing premium for-rent communities in the Triangle region for years. Beyond the currently leasing NOVEL Morrisville and NOVEL Cary, Crescent’s legacy multifamily communities include Berkshire Main Street, formerly Crescent Main Street; Berkshire Ninth Street, formerly Crescent Ninth Street; and Berkshire Village District, formerly Crescent Cameron Village. Crescent Communities also has a commercial presence in the region with its two burgeoning life sciences developments in Holly Springs: THE YIELD North and THE YIELD Holly Springs.
Nationwide, Crescent Communities continues to experience significant growth with $7.2 billion of residential and commercial investments and developments in various stages of construction, operations, and planning. That pipeline includes 15,300 multi- and single-family build-to-rent units; 58,000 square feet of complementary retail space; and 7.5 million square feet of office, industrial, and life-sciences facilities. With a focus on environmental sustainability and wellness, Crescent Communities is a leading recipient of LEED, NGBS (National Green Building Standard), Fitwel, and WELL certifications.
Renderings of NOVEL UHill are linked here, and photos from the groundbreaking are linked here.
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About Crescent Communities:
Crescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer, and operator of mixed-use "communities." We create high-quality, differentiated multifamily and commercial communities in many of the fastest growing markets in the United States. Since 1963, our development portfolio has included more than 86 multifamily communities and 25 million square feet of commercial space. Crescent Communities has offices in Charlotte, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix. Our multifamily communities are branded NOVEL, RENDER, and HARMON by Crescent Communities, our industrial developments are branded AXIAL by Crescent Communities, and our life science developments are branded THE YIELD by Crescent Communities.
