Cary’s Fenton shopping center now plans a ‘soft opening’ at the end of April
Cary’s much-anticipated Fenton multiplex will host a soft opening ceremony at the end of April to inaugurate its first block of retail and restaurant options.
The 69-acre, mixed-use development on Cary Towne Boulevard houses nearly 345,000 square feet of expected shopping, dining and entertainment space. Fenton is one of the largest retail-driven projects under development in the country, according to Hines, the international real estate investor building Fenton in partnership with South Carolina’s Columbia Development.
COVID-19 setbacks, including materials shortages and supply chain delays, postponed original plans to open April 1, developers previously told The News & Observer. Most of its stores will open April 29 with a grand opening scheduled for June 4 and 5.
“Through June 3, the public is invited to enjoy a first look at the project during our soft opening period,” Paul Zarian, managin director at Hines, said in a statement. “In the coming weeks, we will share a full list of retailers that will open in April, May and early June.”
About 90% of the site’s retail space has been leased, Zarian said. Several high-end shops have been announced, as The N&O reported. They include Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Athleta, Paragon Theaters, Arhaus Furniture, Sephora, Free People, Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, LunchboxWax, Zen Nail Bar and Von Kekel Aveda Lifestyle Salon Spa.
The development has also secured several culinary options such as Scott Crawford’s Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, Steve Palmer’s Colletta Italian restaurant, Michael Lee’s M Sushi, Ford Fry’s Superica “Tex-Mex” cuisine and local favorite Dram & Draught, a whiskey bar and tap room. Other options include Honeysuckle Gelato, CRU Food & Wine Bar and Sports & Social, which will open as the Triangle’s largest sports bar at 22,000 square feet.
Fenton will eventually host a grocery store, but its developers haven’t announced a grocery tenant after Wegmans withdrew plans to open there.
“After years of hard work, we can’t wait to welcome the community to this one-of-a-kind mixed-use district,” Zarian said.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
