By the end of the summer, the worn out Wake Forest Plaza will be revamped with a roots-beach music venue, a couple of retail condos and the potential for apartments or residential condos close to the historic center on South White Street.

The project, fronted by East Elm Partners LLC, will join Holding Village, a subdivision already under construction that will tie into downtown through the new Franklin Street beautification project.

And there's a new town hall on the way that will replace the current iteration, which could double for a down-and-out mini-mall with bad parking.

Craig Briner, the developer of the old Wake Forest Plaza, said last week the time has come for downtown Wake Forest.

Building in the outlying parcels around the town is slowing as evidenced by the first slowdown in new home construction in Wake Forest in close to a decade.

Briner, who has held the plaza since 2002, said the iron was hot for downtown redevelopment.

It's been a rougher time for downtown Wake Forest in the past few years. Restaurants have left White Street and downtown has more than its share of vacant buildings.

In 2004, the town approved the Renaissance Plan for Downtown Wake Forest, a study of 220 acres surrounding the 100-year-old buildings on South White Street.

Lack of pep on White Street and sprawl of the surrounding neighbors drew gripes from merchants and the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners were accused of not being interested downtown.

Growth in the 'burbs and the lack of it downtown was a big issue that helped bring about a sea change on the board, bringing in slow-growthers.

Cross your fingers for downtown Wake Forest. It's been on the verge for the last four years without anything actually happening.

If Briner and Holding Village can generate some momentum, the cute Christmas village that is White Street can be more than a postcard shot.