October 11, 2007

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            Update: Entrust Holdings, the Holding family trust which is developing Holding Village in partnership with East West Partners in Chapel Hill, has offered a parcel of land to the YMCA for an aquatics center “with possible room for a small sports field and parking,” Bill Andrews of Entrust Holdings confirmed this week.

            “This is very early and the Y staff contacts seemed very pleased with this offer,” Andrews wrote in an e-mail. “They will need to go to their board and confirm this is a viable option/opportunity for them and then put together a fund-raiser for the structures/buildings.”

            Andrews said the architecture will fit the strategy for Holding Village.

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. The town’s planning department estimates there are over 25,000 residents in mid-2007. You can calculate 2.6 residents for each dwelling unit. The town has approved 6,826 homes that remain to be built, including these below.

• The Alexan at Ligon Mill will have 288 apartments in 12 buildings along the future extension of Ligon Mill Road between Wal-Mart to the south, the future Shoppes at Caveness Farm to the west and Caveness Farm Apartments to the north. It was approved at the May 15 town board meeting, and most of the work will be done in 2008.
• Holding Village will have about 1,350 homes – apartments, condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes – on 256 acres between the N.C. 98 bypass to the north, the CSX rail line and South Main Street to the west and Heritage to the south. The town commissioners approved it on May 15.
• Austin Creek on N.C. 98 east of town will have 430 single-family homes and 196 townhomes when complete in about 2015. Beazer Homes has pulled permits for 13 of the single-family homes thus far, five last year and eight this.
• Bowling Green, which will connect internally to Austin Creek subdivision and have entrances on N.C. 98 and Jones Dairy Road, will have 283 single-family homes and 94 townhouses in 2010, when the project is slated to be complete.
• Homes are being built in Saddle Run, a 34-home subdivision on Chalks Road.
• Heritage North will have 387 homes when built out in 2011 or so. It lies along Heritage Lake Road.
• Reynolds Mill on Forbes Road and the future Ligon Mill Road has begun construction of the 125 single-family homes planned.
• Shearon Farms has nearly completed its single-family section and has just 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 are jointly planned subdivisions south of Rogers Road. Heritage South will have 444 single-family homes. Wildflower, approved in 2004, will have 111 single-family homes and 165 townhouses.
• Dansforth on Burlington Mills Road was approved in 2001 for 313 single-family homes and is expected to complete the last 33 homes this year.
• Thornrose on Forestville Road has nearly completed all its 187 single-family homes.
• Stonegate at St. Andrews was approved in 2004 for 691 single-family and multi-family lots. About 400 single-family homes and 217 multi-family homes remain to be 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 this year.

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, 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.
• Olde Wake Forest between North College Street and an extension of North Wingate Street is being reviewed by Assistant Planning Director Chad Sary. Donald Nasholds is the developer; Harry Mitchell of Bass Nixon & Kennedy is drawing up the plan for six to 10 lots. There will be no need for a rezoning, just a review of the master plan.
• Traditions is the name of the multi-use project the Ammons brothers – Andy, Jeff and David – are proposing for the 357 acres north of Wait Avenue on the west side of the Smith Creek reservoir. There would be a Traditions Retirement Community with a variety of living for seniors – from single-family homes through a nursing center – along with homes for younger families. Altogether there would be about 1,560 dwelling units. Assistant Planning Director Chad Sary has said the review is underway and the project may reach the planning board this summer.
• The Carriages at Bishop’s Grant (formerly named The Landings at Bishop’s Grant) will not be built. The Wake Forest Town Board voted three to two Aug. 21 to deny the rezoning request.
• Trillium will have 92 single-family homes along Harris Road near its intersection with West Oak-Wall Road.
• Olde Chestnut Townes is planned as 32 affordable townhouses on West Chestnut Avenue. The CPC sent this forward for planning department review on April 17.

Future shopping centers

• The plans for another shopping center, Quail Crossing, were recently submitted to the Wake Forest Planning Department by JDH Capital LLC. It consists of a shopping center and out-parcels on the 13.48 acres in the southeast corner of the intersection of the N.C. 98 bypass and Jones Dairy Road where there had been plans for an Eckerd’s drug store. Planner Ann Ayers said the review process has just begun and the plans are not on any planning or town board agendas. The partners in JDH Capital are Gary J. Davies and David P. Hill, both of Charlotte.

• Lowes Foods will be the grocery store anchor for Gateway Commons Shopping Center where Jones Dairy Road meets the N.C. 98 bypass. The shopping center will also be accessible from Heritage Lake Road and Friendship Chapel Road. The plan for the center was approved by the Wake Forest Town Board on May 15.

• Purnell Place on the east side of Capital Boulevard north of Harris Road was approved by the Wake Forest Town Board in August. The developer, Regency Center of Raleigh, plans to build 80,000 square feet of retail and commercial space in three buildings, and there will be four out-parcels. The anchor reportedly will be a Harris-Teeter grocery store.
• Daryl Cady has begun clearing on Star Road north of Living Word Family Church for what could be La Scala, which would be shops, offices, a hotel and a convention center, all with an Italian theme. The Wake Forest Planning Department is reviewing a development plan for the first phase: a 90-room hotel along the road, a ballroom and convention center behind it and a 28,800-square-foot office building facing the hotel. Cady has given the planners preliminary plans for nine office buildings, two hotels, an amphitheater and 19 retail buildings north of the first phase. Cady wants to have a full intersection with a signal on Capital Boulevard (U.S. 1), and the town planners want a road built to meet South Main Street (U.S. 1-A) at a new point and a road to connect to Ligon Mill Road.
• 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. It is a joint venture between local developer Jim Adams and Weingarten Realty. Planner Ann Ayers said they are planning 366,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 85,000 square feet of office space. Adams is also donating the land for a fire station somewhere on the site.
• The Shoppes at Caveness Farm is apparently for sale. The shopping center has an approved master plan, one done by the first owner, and Weingarten Realty Investors, the current owner, had announced Steinmart would be one of the tenants.
• Wake Forest Crossing shopping center anchored by Lowes Foods may be ready to build its next phase of shops.

Future and recent restaurants

• Planner Ann Ayers is reviewing development plans for a Sonic restaurant at 1925 S. Main St. which is now an open lot. Until recently, it held two model houses built by Carolina Model Home Corporation. The plan was submitted by JOROMI Properties LLC, a Raleigh corporation, which bought the land for $580,000 in July. The zoning is highway business.
• Cinelli’s, a pizza restaurant, will open next year in Heritage Station at the intersection of Rogers and Forestville roads. This is a local chain, an offshoot of the original Cinelli’s restaurant in New York City that is owned and operated by Joseph Cinelli. His Tar Heel brothers – Gaitano (Guy), Gianni and Peter – own the other local Cinelli’s in Durham, Cary and Raleigh, and two of them own the restaurant with their names in the Wakefield Commons Shopping Center on New Falls of the Neuse Road.

• Old Chicago Pizza and Pasta Restaurant has opened at 2108 S. Main St. in the Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart).
• Charlie’s Grill featuring burgers of all sizes and buffalo wings has opened at 109-10 Capcom Ave. off South Main Street.

• Chili’s and Red Robin have opened for customers. They are in the future Shoppes at Caveness Farm on Capital Boulevard. Land has been cleared next door to Red Robin, and the Texas Roadhouse will open soon.
• Over the Falls Deli on South White Street between The Cotton Company and B&W Hardware is now operated by Doug Pearce and his family. See the July 18, 2007, edition of the Gazette for the complete story in The Growth Rate.
• The Well, a combination church and coffee house, is holding church services at its new location, 1248 S. Main St., but the coffee house business will not open until later this year. Owner Mark Edwards recently closed the coffee house and church on South White Street in anticipation of the move.

• 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.
• The Mellow Mushroom will be built at the corner of Wake Drive and South Main Street (U.S. 1-A) between the American Pride carwash and Taco Bell. The master plan was approved by the town board at its May meeting, and construction plans are under review.
• A Steak ‘n Shake is being built in Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart) next to O’Charley’s.
• Carolina Ale House 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 has opened for business.

New stores and services

• The plans for Lasersplash Car Wash on 1.69 acres on Rogers and Forestville roads are under review by planner Ann Ayers.
• The Peanut Roaster, a Henderson-based company, has opened its fourth store at 11721 Retail Drive in the same building as Radio Shack.
• Distinctive Designs of Wake Forest has opened in the brick building at 1273 S. Main St. across from Hoy Auction House.

• Two developers have submitted plans for Walgreen’s drug stores, one in the southwest corner where the N.C. 98 bypass meets South Main Street (U.S. 1-A) and one in the southeast corner. The developer for the southwest corner lot does have permission from the state Department of Transportation for a right-in, right-out access to the bypass. “I made them talk to each other,” planner Ann Ayers said.
• The construction plans for Rapid Strikes Family Entertainment Center – which was originally called Wake Forest Family Entertainment Center – are under review. It would be built on 4.5 acres along Rogers Road between the entrance to The Factory and its ball fields and the CSX railroad line. Mark Wallace of Wake Forest wants to build 32 bowling lanes, a laser tag room, a game room and a party room. The land is zoned for highway business.
• Bob Luddy, the president of Captive-Aire in Youngsville and a backer of Franklin Academy, a public charter school, is looking for property on the east side of South Franklin Street in Heritage for his recently-announced private school, Thales Academy. Planner Ann Ayers said the land would have to be rezoned.
• An RBC Bank in Heritage Square at 3619 Roger Road is being built and two adjacent office buildings are planned..
• The Stecker Building Two will have 9,311 square feet for retail and flex space. It will be behind the Porter Paint Store at 1219 S. Main St., and was recently approved by the planning and town boards.

• Some of the national stores said to be looking at Wake Forest are Kohls, J.C. Penney, Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx.
• An Aaron Rents Furniture store is seeking Wake Forest Planning Department approval for a store on an out-parcel at Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart).
• Planner Ann Ayers is reviewing plans for Heritage Medical Center which would be at the corner of Rogers Road and Heritage Branch Road. The developer is Heritage Medical Office Associates in Raleigh.

Government projects

• The site plan for the new Wake Forest Town Hall should be on the agendas for the planning and town boards in September if everything goes as planned. At their meeting July 17 the town commissioners agreed with a new site configuration which will save some landmark trees and $347,000 by eliminating a two-story parking deck.

• A modular building that will be the new American Legion hall is on its site on East Holding Avenue between the water tower and the North Wake Senior Center. The town is constructing the new building as part of its contract with the American Legion to purchase the existing building and land on East Owen Avenue for the future town hall. That contract specifies the town must hand over the building and a storage building on or before June 30, but the town, with the Legion’s agreement, has extended the date to Oct. 31. The town also purchased the land and building where Green & Wooten Insurance Company had operated for many years. The company has moved to Ligon Mill Road west of South Main Street, and the police department has used the building for several exercises.
• Thompson Construction is totally changing the landscape at the 110.5-acre site on Forestville Road that will be Heritage High School. The school is slated to open in the fall of 2009.

• Wake County is building the Northern Regional Center on East Holding Avenue next to the Wake Forest Library. Due to open in January of 2008, the center will offer an array of services. Ross Yeager, the director, wants to offer the services the Wake Forest-Rolesville-North Wake area wants. To give him your ideas, call 623-8312 or send a note to ryeager@co.wake.nc.us. The enlarged parking lot now being built will serve both the center and the library.

Commercial projects

• Plans for Siena Office Park, 8 acres on the north side of the N.C. 98 Bypass at Siena Drive, have been submitted to the Wake Forest Planning Department by Joel Moulin. The zoning is conditional use office and institutional.
• The plans for Caveness Corner, a 12,000-square-foot building to house small shops, are being reviewed by the Wake Forest Planning Department. Planner Ann Ayers said two fast-food restaurants are also tentatively planned on out-parcels for The Shoppes at Caveness Farm in addition to the restaurants already opened or being built. The shopping center is reportedly being sold.
• Clearing has begun for Heritage Center, a four-lot commercial subdivision at the corner of South Main Street and Rogers Road. The entrance will be on Rogers Road, and the street named Heritage Center Drive will connect to Farm Road, a dead-end dirt road.

• 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.
• The Lodge at Wake Forest will be a three-story, 118-unit apartment building for active seniors 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. The wood-frame three-story building is under construction.
• Construction is well underway for a 32,000-square-foot, two-story building that will be Heritage Medical Park on Rogers Road behind BB&T Bank and The Factory. The developer is a group called Vanguard, headed by George Venters of Raleigh. One of the tenants will be a specialized pediatric dentist.
• Grading is underway for Heritage Medical Center at the intersection of Rogers Road and Heritage Branch Road.
• At the end of South Main Street, the former Weavexx plant and tract has been 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.

Church building

• Wake Forest Baptist Church has submitted preliminary plans but has not yet made a formal application to build a church, called a life center, on the large part of the Stephenson tract on Wake Union Church Road. Planner Ann Ayers said she was not sure if the plan, once formally requested, will need planning board review. The land is zoned rural holding, and churches are a permitted use in that zoning district. Ayers said the preliminary site plan she has calls for a church with all the customary additions such as Sunday school rooms.
• Bay Leaf Baptist Church, which has owned the property on Falls of the Neuse Road just south of its intersection with Old N.C. 98 since 2001, began work in January on the new church that will be called Wakefield Baptist Church. The large building should be completed by the end of the year and already has a congregation which has been meeting since 2001, most recently in a Capcom Avenue building. The 17 acres was once the site of the William Thompson house, which was moved in 2005 to its new location along Old N.C. 98 but still on the remains of what was the Thompson plantation.

            Send your questions about growth to 556-3409 or cwpelosi@aol.com. Go to http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/ and click on “plan review information” for the status. For information about the Community Plan that will supplant the present Land Use Management Plan, go to http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/.