Reuse Arts District
(RAD)
A place where creativity, community, and reuse come together.
The Reuse Arts District is an evolving creative campus in the heart of Durham, North Carolina. Anchored by The Scrap Exchange, the District brings together artists, makers, nonprofits, small businesses, educators, and entrepreneurs who share a belief that creativity can strengthen communities and that reuse can help build a more sustainable future.
Unlike many arts districts that are built from the ground up, the Reuse Arts District is growing organically. Every new tenant, mural, class, event, and collaboration adds another layer to a place that is becoming greater than the sum of its parts.
Our vision is simple: create a place where people don't just visit—they create, collaborate, learn, work, and belong.
Don’t forget we also have a rental event space available on our campus! Learn more and inquire here.
Our RAD Community
At the heart of the Reuse Arts District is an extraordinary community of independent businesses, artists, nonprofits, and creative organizations.
Each tenant has its own mission, personality, and story. Together, however, they create something much larger: a collaborative ecosystem where ideas are shared, customers become collaborators, and neighbors become partners.
On any given day you might discover an artist purchasing reclaimed materials from The Scrap Exchange, a maker collaborating with another tenant down the hall, a workshop introducing someone to a new creative skill, or a local entrepreneur testing a new idea within an encouraging community.
We believe that creative districts succeed not because they simply lease space, but because they cultivate relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where tenants support one another, visitors discover unexpected connections, and the success of one organization strengthens the entire community.
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![Small creek with rocks and flowing water in front of a colorful mural with a rainbow, sun, and stars, and a building with a bench and trees in the background.]()
El Futuro
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![People are gathered outdoors around tables with chairs, participating in an event near a large building with a beige wall. Some individuals are walking, while others are seated or standing, enjoying the sunny day.]()
Oak Church
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![Interior of a craft or fabric store with shelves of fabric bolts on the left, and various craft supplies and yarn on the right. A large cutting mat is on the table in the foreground.]()
Freeman's Creative
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![Three people standing outside a QueDogs restaurant, smiling, with one person extending their arm. The restaurant has a black roof, a red awning, and a sign with a yellow hot dog illustration and red text. There is a menu board on the sidewalk.]()
Que Dogs
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![Women participating in a scent testing or fragrance workshop, smelling glass containers on a wooden table, with artworks on the wall behind them.]()
Bright Black
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![A person's hand adjusting controls on a large audio mixing console with numerous knobs, sliders, and patch cables, in a recording studio or sound engineering setting.]()
Magnetic Sound Studio
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![Sign for El Centro Hispano above the entrance of a building, with red and yellow protective bollards in front.]()
El Centro Hispano
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![Exterior of a colorful building with a mural and the text 'INSIGHT COLEARNING' on the wall.]()
Insight Co-Learning
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Durham Community Food Pantry
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![Front view of Lincoln Community Health Center storefront with parking lot and blue sky]()
Lincoln Community Health Center
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![A group of people outdoors, standing in front of large orange containers labeled 'BioDiesel.' They are smiling and making fist gestures, with trees, a bus, and a light blue sky in the background.]()
GreenOil
History of Lakewood Shopping Center + the Reuse Arts District
For generations, this shopping center has been part of the fabric of southwest Durham. Like many neighborhood commercial centers across America, it has experienced periods of growth, change, and transition.
Since purchasing our first building here in 2013, The Scrap Exchange has steadily expanded its presence and invested in the campus as a permanent home for creativity, reuse, and community. Today, the Reuse Arts District occupies much of the historic shopping center, breathing new life into existing buildings while preserving the accessibility, authenticity, and neighborhood character that make this place special.
Rather than replacing what came before, we see ourselves as writing the next chapter in the site's history—one built around creativity, local enterprise, and shared community spaces.
Looking Ahead
The Reuse Arts District is still in its early chapters.
Over the coming years, we envision the campus becoming one of Durham's most distinctive creative destinations: a place where artists can grow businesses, entrepreneurs can test ideas, nonprofits can collaborate, families can gather, and visitors can experience the power of creativity and reuse.
That future will not be created by The Scrap Exchange alone.
It will be shaped together—with our tenants, our neighbors, our partners, and the broader Durham community. Through thoughtful planning, meaningful community engagement, and a commitment to inclusive growth, we hope to build a district that reflects Durham's creativity, honors its history, and creates opportunities for generations to come.
Because ultimately, the Reuse Arts District isn't just about buildings.
It's about building community.