March 28, 2007

Published in Wake Forest, NC

planningzoning_subdivisions.aspx?rld=308 and look at “plan review information” for the status.

            New: The U.S. Census Bureau has just released its latest estimates on population growth, and you were right in thinking that the roads, schools, restaurants and every other public place is more crowded. In just a year – between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006 – 35,657 people moved into Wake County, bringing its population to 786,522 almost a year ago. Wake is ninth in real population gain against counties across the nation. Who knows how many people have moved in since the last tabulation?

            On the other hand, Wake is 95^th in percent of population growth from 2000 to 2006 measured nationwide because the 158,657 people added in the six years is a 25.3 percent change. Union County added 51,534 and is 15^th on the list, Currituck added 5,580 and is 49^th, and Hoke added 8,657 and is 89^th.

            The Wake Forest Planning Department says there are 22,784 people in the town now. The most recent Census figures are 12,588 people in 2000 and 20,128 in 2005.

            New: When you have move people, property appreciates. As an example, a Southfield, Mich., company, Yorktown 1031, just purchased the Walgreens drug store at 941 Durham Road for $5.1 million. That is $352 per square foot for the store, which stands on 2.8 acres at the corner of Retail Drive and was the site for Jones Hardware for several years.  

• Over the Falls Deli, damaged by a smoky fire Jan. 12, will hold its grand re-opening the weekend of March 29, 30 and 31, a recorded message from owner John Laughinghouse says

• Clearing and grading has begun on the future site of the American Legion building on East Holding Avenue between the water tower and the North Wake Senior Center. The town owns all three lots, but it will deed that middle half-acre to the American Legion in exchange for the land the current Legion building occupies next to the existing town hall. It is part of the land acquisition for the new town hall on Brooks Street. The town is also paying for the new building and small storage shed.

                        The town also purchased the small building and 0.64 acres where the Green & Wooten Insurance Agency stood, paying owners Shirley and John E. Wooten Jr. $495,000.

            John Wooten III, who operates the agency now, said it has moved to 10433 Ligon Mill Road. “It was hard for us to leave downtown Wake Forest,” Wooten said, but they could not find a suitable site. Now his customers can drop in on their way to Wal-Mart, Wooten said.

Future shopping centers

• Plans for Gateway Commons at the corner of Jones Dairy Road and the N.C. 98 bypass are being reviewed by the town planning staff. The shopping center will be anchored by a grocery store, and a public hearing about the plan may be held by the Planning Board and Town Board in May.

• Wake Forest Towne Center is planned for the Parker-Hannifin site on Wake Union Church Road. A major department store will anchor the center, but the name has not been announced and plans have not been submitted to the town.

• The Shoppes at Caveness Farm has an approved master plan, and Weingarten Realty Investors has announced Steinmart will be one of the anchors. Three restaurants are being constructed on outparcels (see below).

Future restaurants

• No Lone Star at the corner of Retail Drive and Warmoven Street. The company has pulled the building permit and has been told to secure the site. No reason was given.

• Oops!   The Mellow Mushroom plans to build at the corner of Wake Drive and South Main Street (U.S. 1-A) between the American Pride carwash and Taco Bell, not Wait Drive as reported last week. Sorry.

• Old Chicago, featuring deep-dish Chicago-style pizza and 110 beers from around the world, is headed for the former Bennigan’s building in Wake Pointe Shopping Center, but there is no activity at the building yet.

• A Texas Roadhouse, a Chili’s and a Red Robin are under construction on outparcels at the Shoppes at Caveness Farm.

• A Steak ‘n Shake is planned at Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart) next to O’Charley’s.

• Wendy’s on Capital Boulevard just south of Wake Forest Crossing Shopping Center (Lowe’s Foods) has opened. It is on taxable land owned by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. There will be a second tenant, not yet determined, south of Wendy’s.”

• There will be a Hooters, we hear, but it will be somewhere in Wakefield.

• Plans for a Carolina Ale House have been approved at the corner between the N.C. 98 bypass, the extension of Retail Drive into the North Park office buildings and the ramp from the bypass to Capital Boulevard. Ground is being cleared.

• There may be a Japanese Steakhouse coming as a second tenant in the new building on Retail Drive.

New stores and services

• Some of the national stores said to be looking at Wake Forest are Kohls, J.C. Penney, Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx.

• The YMCA at The Factory, an extension of the Banks D. Kerr Family YMCA in Wakefield, will open this spring. It will have a 21,000-square-foot facility for adult fitness with a nursery and youth programs. A membership at one YMCA includes membership at the other. You can sign up now at 562-9622 or go to www.YMCATriangle.org. No opening date has been set.

Commercial projects

• Rex Health Park at Wakefield is underway in the northwest corner of Capital Boulevard. There will be a 39,500-square-foot wellness center and a 113,000-square-foot multi-specialty ambulatory care center.The wellness center will be similar to those Rex operates in Cary and Garner, with a gym, heated pools, physical rehabilitation services and nutrition and exercise programs.The ambulatory care center will provide therapeutic and diagnostic services, heart, vascular and oncology services.

• It has been a year since the planning and town boards approved the plans, but a three-story, 118-unit apartment building for active seniors is now under construction on the east side of South Main Street just south of the N.C. 98 bypass. The apartments will not have kitchens. The residents, who are expected to be single people in their 80s who do not need assistance, will eat meals in the communal dining room.

• Crews are moving dirt around on the south side of Rogers Road behind the BB&T Bank and The Factory for a 32,000-square-foot, two-story building that will be Heritage Medical Park. Andy Ammons said he sold the land two years ago and the developer now is a group called Vanguard, headed by George Venters of Raleigh. One of the tenants will be a specialized pediatric dentist.

• The Radio Shack in the new flex building on Retail Drive across from Chick-Fil-A is close to opening. There is no word yet on any other tenant(s) in the building.

• At the end of South Main, between it and Capital Boulevard, the former Weavexx tract is being transformed into Glenn Boyd’s Nissan dealership. He also owns Crossroads Ford in Cary and Wakefield Ford in Wake Forest. Poythress Commercial is constructing the large building and parking lots; the January building permit said the cost would be $2.8 million.

Housing projects approved for more water

·          Alexan at Ligon Mill will be a 288-unit apartment complex south of Caveness Farm Apartments, north of the Wal-Mart store and east of the Shoppes of Caveness Farm shopping center. The increased water allocation for the project was approved by the town board in December. Once it has all the approvals, construction may start in 2007. The developer is Trammell Crow Residential. See the Nov. 29 and Dec. 20 issues of the Gazette for details.

·          Holding Village will be a 1,300-home traditional neighborhood development that includes shops and services south of the N.C. 98 bypass, east of South Main Street and the CSX rail line, west of Heritage North and north of Heritage Wake Forest. The town board approved the increased water allocation in October and changed the town’s zoning ordinance to allow for a traditional neighborhood in January. The development is on the planning board agenda for April 3.