A new restaurant where Rocco's was?
Update: There is paper covering the interior of all the windows at the former Rocco’s restaurant in Heritage Station shopping center where Harris-Teeter is the anchor. That almost certainly means someone is planning to renovate/change the interior to open a new restaurant.
In response to readers’ requests, there are now double asterisks at the beginning of items that have been slightly altered or updated but not enough to warrant a separate update.
Subdivisions in progress
This is an incomplete list but gives readers a taste of the residential building underway in town, which had a population of about 5,700 in 1990, over 27,000 now.
Most of these subdivisions are either on hold or selling lots very slowly at present.
The first special use permits for Traditions were approved by the Wake Forest Town Board in the fall of 2009. Now the Ammons family has to get the permits for water and sewer, roads and other infrastructure before they can begin building the amenities and center, townhouses and apartment houses in what will be the active older adult neighborhood north of the future continuing care center. Those two neighborhoods are one of four planned for the 800-plus Traditions land along the west side of the Wake Forest Reservoir, and the tract is partly in Franklin County.
The developers for Holding Village continue to look for builders who will buy the lots in Wake Forest’s first Traditional Neighborhood Development. They have cleared and installed some infrastructure in the first phase of the 256-acre, 1,300-home project. That 15-acre section is just north of the Heritage Green section of Heritage Wake Forest and lies between the Franklin Street extension and the Spring Branch feeder to Smith Creek. The town board annexed the 15 acres in July.
The developers are Entrust Holdings, a Holding family corporation, and East West Partners of Chapel Hill. When built, the mixed-use project will extend from the N.C. 98 bypass on the north down to Forestville Road on the south, from the CSX rail line on the west to Smith Creek on the east.
The first permits for the 109 single-family homes planned for The Meadows, the subdivision with an entrance on the west side of North Main Street, were issued late in November 2009 but just reported by the town’s new software system, which has several issues for the planning department. The main street is an extension of Barnford Mill Road in the Olde Mill Stream subdivision and has been complete for several months. First American from Apex is the developer for the 38.58-acre project.
Majestic Oaks is a 60-lot subdivision on the north side of Rogers Road across from Heritage South. It was built by Willfair, which is David Williams Jr., Steve Faircloth and David Faircloth, who are not relatives. The project abuts the Heritage and Clearspring subdivisions and was approved in 2006.
Bishop’s Grant on Wait Avenue (N.C. 98 east) will have 48 townhouses and 172 single-family homes when built out. It has seen a few homes built recently.
Austin Creek on N.C. 98 east of town will have 430 single-family homes and 196 townhomes when complete in about 2015, and builders have applied for several permits for single-family homes in the past few months.
Bowling Green will soon be connected to N.C. 98 to meet the entrance to Bishop’s Grant. Developer Steve Gould has told Director of Engineering Eric Keravuori he plans to make that connection soon. Currently the subdivision’s only entrance is on Jones Dairy Road although it will, in the future, connect internally to the Austin Creek subdivision to the east. Bowling Green will have 283 single-family homes and 94 townhouses when it is complete in 2018 or so. Builders had obtained a number of permits for homes in late 2009.
Saddle Run, a 34-home subdivision on Chalks Road, should be about built out, based on recent building permits.
Heritage North will have 387 homes when built out in 2011 or so. It lies along Heritage Lake Road and has seen a steady rate of construction.
Reynolds Mill on Forbes Road and the future Ligon Mill Road plans 125 single-family homes in the first phase. This is one of the subdivisions where new homes continue to go up.
Shearon Farms has nearly completed its single-family section and has begun the 372 townhouses and apartments planned for that subdivision along Capital Boulevard just north of the Neuse River and south of Burlington Mills Road.
Heritage South and Wildflower, jointly planned subdivisions south of Rogers Road, have builders’ trucks lining the streets with a real burst of permit and construction activity recently. Heritage South will have 444 single-family homes. Wildflower, approved in 2004, will have 111 single-family homes and 165 townhouses.
Stonegate at St. Andrews appears to have some problems currently with the town inspection department reporting every month on efforts to have the grass and weeds cut on vacant lots. The upper-market subdivision on Forestville Road was approved in 2004 for 691 single-family and multi-family lots. Builders continue to apply for building permits for the 300-or so remaining single-family lots. None of the 217 multi-family units have been built.
The Registry at Bennett Park will be 31 single-family lots along an extension of West Holding Avenue, bounded on the west by Richland Creek. The master plan was approved in June of 2007. The streets have been installed and some homes are being built.
Olde Wake Forest, an eight-home infill subdivision bounded by North Wingate, West Juniper, North College and West Pine, was approved by the town board on March 18, 2008, but no homes have been built.
Olde Chestnut Townes, 33 townhouses on West Chestnut Avenue to be built by Bark Development was approved by the town board on Feb. 19, 2008, but no buildings have gone up.
The Reserve, a cluster subdivision of 37 single-family homes on 74 acres south of Oak Grove Church Road, was approved in September of 2008 but remains unbuilt. The land on the west side of the ridge line leading down to the Wake Forest reservoir will remain undisturbed.
Kings Glen, a 93-home subdivision on 34 acres between Wait Avenue (N.C. 98) and Oak Grove Church Road, was added to the approved subdivisions list in October 2008 when the Wake Forest Town Board approved its annexation and plan. The land is adjacent to Bishop’s Grant. Like others, this subdivision has no homes at present.
Subdivisions in review
About 100 homes would be built in a new phase of Flaherty Farms subdivision if the plans are approved by the planning and town boards. On Sept. 18, 2007, the town’s Comprehensive Planning Committee agreed Millridge Companies could move forward with the plans, still preliminary, based on the public benefits of the construction of a portion of the North Loop and the infill character. There will be no irrigation tied to the town’s water system. A small infill project of 12 lots was approved by the planning and town boards in May.
The Comprehensive Planning Committee has approved a water allocation for an unnamed subdivision of 96 single-family homes on the 39 acres that once were Triangle Metro Zoo (formerly ZooFauna) in Franklin County. Although the CPC recommendation was made in June 2008, do not expect development soon because Wake Forest and the City of Raleigh have to first hammer out an agreement about water and sewer service to this area. Youngsville and Wake Forest reached an annexation agreement last year under which Wake Forest can annex land in a swath in Franklin County. Because of geography, Wake Forest can serve that area while Youngsville would have to use sewer lift stations. Raleigh has refused to extend water and sewer service there until Wake Forest persuades Franklin County not to use the intake on the Neuse River at the former Burlington Mills plant as its water source.
Future shopping centers
Work has ceased on the site of the future (?) Quail Crossing shopping Center at the corner of the Dr. Calvin Jones Highway and Jones Dairy Road. Earlier in March the town’s director of engineering, Eric Keravuori, said the developer has stabilized the site to control erosion. “As far as future development, as I understand it that is in the surety company’s hands until a new contractor can be hired.” Work stopped last fall when the grading contractor declared bankruptcy and the developer, JDH of Charlotte, asked the town to put a hold on its request for more retail space. Quail Crossing will be across Jones Dairy from Gateway Commons shopping center. Bloom, Food Lion’s upscale grocery, was to be the anchor, and other stores mentioned are Dollar Tree and McDonald’s.
Work on the Harris Crossing shopping center has resumed at a very, very slow pace. Harris Teeter is expected to be the anchor store. The shopping center will be at the corner of Harris Road and Capital Boulevard.
On Nov. 8, 2007, the planning board recommended approval of an increase in the height of the hotel developer Daryl Cady plans for La Scala on Star Road just north of Living Word Family Church. Plans are for a 60-foot high, four-story, 90-room hotel near the road facing a 28,800-square-foot office building. Behind those buildings will be a large ballroom/convention building. There has been clearing but no construction for the project. However, Cady said recently he is working on the various permits.
The Wake Forest Planning Department is also reviewing the master plan for La Scala phases two through four on 85.5 acres along Star Road. It includes 239,200 square feet of office space, 375,250 square feet of retail space and a 40,000-square-foot hotel. The zoning is highway business.
The Shoppes at Caveness Farm has never materialized aside from the small retail/office building and two restaurants – Red Robin and Chili’s – on the outparcels near Capital Boulevard. Weingarten Retail Investors is apparently still trying to work out a way to bridge the streams on the east side of the land to extend Ligon Mill Road toward the N.C. 98 bypass.
Future restaurants
Red Hughes said late in January his new Red’s Bar & Grill at the site of the former truck stop, now Wakefield Junction, at Capital Boulevard and Burlington Mills Road will be open in time for the Super Bowl. He will serve three meals a day.
China Wok has opened in Gateway Commons shopping center at the corner of the bypass and Jones Dairy Road. And Giorgios Bakatsias, who has built restaurants all over the Triangle, is fitting up the Girasole Trattoria and the Gatehouse Tavern side by side.
* * The site plan for the Waffle House on Durham Road (N.C. 98 west) was approved by the Wake Forest commissioners in February, and now the developer must obtain permits including a building permit. It could be several months before any work begins on site.
Along with the Olive Garden mentioned below, there will be two other new restaurants soon in the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center on Capital Boulevard where Lowes Food and Kohl’s are the anchors, a Japanese Steakhouse and the Rainbow King Restaurant.
* * Venture Construction has begun work on The Olive Garden in the second phase of the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center on Capital Boulevard. The new restaurant will be near Kohl’s, both south of Stadium Drive. The building is expected to add $1.2 million to the tax base, have 7,441 square feet, and Venture paid $62,900.97 in permit and inspection fees to the town.
New stores and services
Rapid Strikes Family Entertainment Center, Mark Wallace’s plan for a center with 32 bowling lanes, a laser tag room, a game room and a party room, is still alive though somewhat delayed by the near-freeze on lending. He said recently he still has the support of his core financial backers, “So, don’t count us out just yet.”
Wake Forest planners are reviewing a project submitted by the W.E.B. DuBois Community Development Corporation for the Spring Street Community Center on two separate but nearby parcels on Spring Street, the former Spring Street Presbyterian Church building and a half-acre lot farther east which held a mobile home. Crowley, Crisp & Associates have drawn up the plans.
The stores at Forestville Commons at 1318 South Main next to the Forestville Baptist Church are expected to open early this year though the work has gone slowly. They should include a Rosemart convenience store with gasoline sales, Heritage Cleaners, PSG Tax Service, Hungry Howie’s Pizza and Lin’s Garden Chinese restaurant. Forestville Commons is replacing Todd’s Mini-Mart.
Construction is underway for Franklin Academy High School on Flaherty Avenue, but there have been enough delays so that the school will not open until next fall rather than for the spring semester as originally planned. The state-supported charter school currently has two campuses: Grades K-3 are in the original location on South Franklin Street, and grades 4-12 are in a newer campus on Chalks Road. The enrollment is about 1,000 students currently, but the school recently was approved to increase its enrollment.
The Wake Forest Town Board approved special use permits for a daycare center, The Learning Experience at 1212 Heritage Links Drive, and an auto care store, Precision Tune at the junction of Rogers Road and Old Forestville Road, on July 15. The building for Precision Tune is being constructed.
The planning department has issued a development permit for a miniature golf course at The Factory.
Government projects
* * The move-in date for the new Wake Forest Town Hall has slipped from the optimistic October/November 2009 until now town staffers are hoping and crossing their fingers that they will be in their new digs this month.
The town’s new electric substation on the N.C. 98 bypass will provide a second delivery point for Progress Energy power the town buys through the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency. Deputy Town Manager Roe O’Donnell says the substation is not yet in operation but it will be some time in 2010. The town’s sole electric delivery point since the late 1970s has been the substation at the end of West Cedar Avenue, built when the town converted from a 4kv system to a 23kv system.
Commercial projects
In February 2009 the Wake Forest commissioners – without Commissioner Margaret Stinnett who recused herself because she and her husband own the affected land – voted unanimously but “with reservations” to approve the development plan for Candlewood Suites. It will be a four-story, 81-room extended-stay hotel on two acres at 12500 Retail Drive. The site has been cleared of trees and grading is underway.
Davidson Duke Holdings LLC – whose members are Realtor Gary Lyons and William Clark of Wake Forest – has submitted a request to the Wake Forest Planning Department to build an office building at 2111 S. Main St. The acre parcel is connected to that street by a thin strip of land leading back to the vacant land at the end of Mangum Street, a dirt street.
The building for Ligon Mill Office Park III built by local developer Lloyd Mattingly at the intersection of Brimfield Spring Lane and the short western extension of Ligon Mill Road is complete and being offered for sale or lease.
The medical arts building in Heritage Professional Park West just west of the CSX rail line on Rogers Road has been completed and Wake Forest Drugs is the first tenant. A building for a branch of Capital Bank is also planned, but work is at a halt and the professional park site is advertised as for sale or lease.
Steel Dynamics has completed the two-story office/retail building called Heritage Pointe Shoppes, and Shuckers restaurant is the first tenant, with plans to expand the original restaurant into the next-door space.
Although there is a sign along the N.C. 98 bypass saying there are retail opportunities for Siena Station, Assistant Planning Director Ann Ayers said no plans have been submitted yet for that parcel, which is on the north side of the bypass.
Two new office buildings have been completed and a third is underway in Heritage Center, a four-lot commercial subdivision at the corner of South Main Street and Rogers Road that has its entrance on Rogers Road. The street named Heritage Center Drive was to have connected to Farm Road, but a nitrogen gas line in the area squashed that plan because it would have been very expensive to relocate the line.
Church Projects
The congregation of the Wake Forest United Methodist Church has formally broken ground for its ambitious, $2-million expansion plan for an 11,000-square-foot, two-part building for education and fellowship. You may have seen the recent clearing at the back of the empty lot south of the present church on South Main Street. The new buildings and parking lot will fill the church property to the Dr. Calvin Jones Highway. There will be additional parking north of the original church building where the parsonage once sat.
With the large expansion underway at the Hope Lutheran Church on Rogers Road – two new buildings on its 12-acre site – it is clear churches are an important part of the town’s growth.
Neuse Baptist Church has moved from the site its sanctuary and school have occupied since 1970 to a leased location in Lincoln Park North on Gresham Lake Road. Plans to build a new church have been put on hold, but the church website says they still have faith they will be able to build on one of their properties very soon.
For almost 12 years the congregation has owned a 50-acre site south of Rolesville on Louisbury Road.
In 2008 the Neuse Baptist congregation paid $3.6 million for 31 acres on the Ponderosa service road between Wakefield Commons Shopping Center and the quarry once owned by Nello Teer. The property includes the former site of Shuckers restaurant.
Also in 2008, a new church, Celebration Covenant Family Church, purchased Neuse Baptist’s 4.56 acres and the church and Neuse Baptist Christian School buildings for $3.9 million. The Celebration congregation has moved into the building along Capital Boulevard.
The master plan for the first phase of The Stephenson Center, a church and family life center Wake Forest Baptist Church plans on Wake Union Church Road, has been approved. The Gazette has been told construction on the 12-acre tract is on hold awaiting financing. Currently, Wake Forest Baptist uses the site for its monthly outdoor summer movies and for Christmas tree sales in December.
Send your questions about growth to 556-3409 or cwpelosi@aol.com