Savior Entrepreneurs and Demon Developers
This chapter considers the emergence of Durham, North Carolina as a “foodie” city. In particular, it focuses on the emergence of gourmet restaurants and bars as drivers of urban redevelopment in the downtown and adjacent Central Park neighborhood. The case study of Liberty Warehouse illustrates how “demon developers” come into conflict with “savior entrepreneurs” over the future of the Central Park neighborhood and its “soul.” The chapter seeks to complicate the simple categories of saviors and demons, by showing the complex roles each play in the development process and any ensuing gentrification. The savior narrative often underplays the role of this group in sparking displacement while overstating the corporatization impact of the developers. Finally, the chapter explores the tensions faced by the savior group, who daily confront the dissonance of their high social status and democratic values.