Longfellow announced plans to build two new seven story buildings in downtown Durham

Longfellow Real Estate will construct two seven-story buildings on what is now a Morris Street parking lot. The eight-story parking structure will be accessible from the south and east sides of Roney Street, and developers say that it will offer supplemental public parking for community events and for the Durham Farmers’ Market.The project is part of the 1.7 million square-foot Durham Innovation District and will bring nearly 350,000 square feet of primarily new office space downtown, along with a 1,200-vehicle parking deck.Duke Clinical Research Institute has signed a lease to occupy all of the office space in one building .The company plans to begin construction later this year, and the buildings have an anticipated completion date of spring 2018.