A redeveloped Academy Street in Cary could have taller buildings, more restaurants, retail and transit.
The Town of Cary
Cary
Who will be the lucky developer to transform Cary’s Town Hall Campus into a vibrant downtown district?
The town is scouting potential applicants to design, plan, finance, own and operate the project that could include taller buildings, shopping and other entertainment, more transit, residences and restaurants.
The project would take up about 18 acres between North Academy Street and Chapel Hill Road — right in the middle of other redevelopment downtown, including the Jordan project and the revamp of the Rogers buildings.
The Town Hall Campus on North Academy Street near the railroad tracks includes the Herbert Young Community Center, Page-Walker Arts and History Center and other buildings that house departments like the police station.
The town is willing to relocate some facilities to get the job done, according to its Request for Qualifications document released May 10.
Still, any plans to redevelop Town Hall Campus are preliminary, with no physical changes expected for a while.
What does the town want?
The 2040 Imagine Cary Community Plan lays out the long-term goals for six subareas of downtown Cary that would be redeveloped along with their surrounding neighborhoods.
Cary owns about 19 acres and will soon own 9 more acres, on the eastern and western sides of North Academy Street and North Harrison Avenue.
▪ Sites A and B (19 acres) are where the town hall offices and the fire department are.
▪ Site C (9 acres) will be used for existing and future transit services, including local and regional bus services, Bus Rapid Transit, future commuter rail service and Amtrak intercity passenger rail services.
Any future projects on these sites should be “urban in character, well integrated with surrounding uses, highly visible to and actively used by people of all ages, and include some natural features,” the proposal states.
Renderings in the Request for Qualifications document show tall, multi-storied apartment or office buildings, outdoor seating and restaurants, live entertainment spaces or venues, a walkable rail line, benches and bike racks.
Cary is seeking private-sector investments to its downtown to create redevelopment options to address gaps in housing, retail and office. The Town of Cary
What is the timeline for development?
May 31 is the deadline for developers to submit questions about the Request for Qualifications. Cary must respond to the questions by June 7.
All submissions from developers must be in by 11 a.m. June 30.
After the developers submit their qualifications, there will be:
rounds of interviews
the selection of a developer
negotiating a development agreement
the beginning of a rezoning process
What else is being built in downtown Cary?
Here are projects planned or underway outside the Town Hall Campus:
▪ Downtown Cary Park will be bordered by Walker, Academy, Park and Walnut streets. It’s been in the works for 20 years and is a nearly $69 million investment. The park will have a water fountain, a children’s play area, a dog park, a bar, game courts, sky walk, pavilion, and grab-and-go market. It’s expected to open this fall.
▪ The Jordan Project on the southwest corner of West Chatham Street and Harrison Avenue will include 80,000 square feet of office and retail space and a 195-unit apartment building with a parking deck to be shared with First Baptist Church and the town of Cary. Construction should be completed in the next two years.
▪ Rogers West | Rogers East is the redevelopment of the Rogers Restaurant and Motel on the opposite end of Academy Street. The new buildings will house seven tenants, including Sono Sushi and Gentleman’s Corner.
This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 9:58 AM.
Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University.
