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 community 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 recently. 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. 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.
          Austin Creek on N.C. 98 east of town will have 430 single-family homes and 196 townhomes when complete in about 2015.
          Bowling Green will soon be connected to N.C. 98 to meet the entrance to Bishop’s Grant. Bowling Green will have 283 single-family homes and 94 townhouses when it is complete in 2018 or so.
          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.
          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 is an upper-market subdivision on Forestville Road 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. 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 fast clip, and a new sign says a Harris Teeter will open in 2011. The shopping center will be at the corner of Harris Road and Capital Boulevard.
          It is not clear what the future holds for developer Daryl Cady’s plans on Star Road. 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 were for a 60-foot high, four-story, 90-room hotel near the road facing a 28,800-square-foot office building. Behind those buildings was to 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.
New and future restaurants

          A Krispy Kreme outlet opened at 11721 Retail Drive. The doughnuts will be baked in Raleigh but glazed and served hot at the Wake Forest store, and the store also features soft ice cream.
          Giorgios Bakatsias’ first Wake Forest restaurant, the Girasole Trattoria, has opened in the Gateway Commons shopping center, and his next-door restaurant, the Gatehouse Tavern is also open. Bakatsias is also readying a barbecue restaurant almost next door.
          Bruno’s Seafood and Steaks is now open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. The new restaurant is in the shops close to the Rex Wellness Center in Wakefield.
          Italian restaurant Il Bacio has opened in the Heritage Station shopping center, occupying the corner suite Rocco’s recently vacated.
          Baccci’s Original Gourmet Italian Ices has opened on Rogers Road next to Shuckers.
          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 one other new restaurant soon in the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center on Capital Boulevard where Lowes Food and Kohl’s are the anchors, the Golden Sakura Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar. The Rainbow King Restaurant Chinese take-out, eat-in has just opened.
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.”
          The stores at Forestville Commons at 1318 South Main next to the Forestville Baptist Church may open once the widening of South Main in that area is completed. Announced plans are for 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.
          * * Precision Tune at the intersection of Rogers Road and Old Forestville Road has opened.
          The planning department has issued a development permit for a miniature golf course at The Factory.
Government projects

          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

          * * The four-story building for the future Candlewood Suites is up and being readied for the 81-room hotel.
          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.
Church Projects

          * * Construction has begun on the Wake Forest Baptist Church property on Wake Union Church Road. Church members and deacons broke ground May 16 for the first phase of The Stephenson Center, a complex which will include a church and a family life center. The name honors Cecyl and Irene Stephenson, longtime church members, who lived on the 16 acres and left it to the church. The church had been using the land for Christmas tree sales in late November, early December and for free family movies during the summer.
          Work on the ambitious addition to the Wake Forest United Methodist Church on South Main Street is well underway. The $2-million expansion plan calls for an 11,000-square-foot, two-part building for education and fellowship along with additional parking near the addition and north of the original church where the manse once stood.
          With the large expansion nearly complete 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 and this church will be truly impressive.
          Send your questions about growth to 556-3409 or cwpelosi@aol.com