Cary sets opening date for downtown park, as developers across U.S. seek to transform area
The future of downtown Cary could be determined by architects from New Mexico.
Or Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Washington, D.C., or maybe from Raleigh or the Triangle.
Eighteen developers in seven states have expressed interest in transforming 28 acres in downtown Cary, which includes the town hall campus.
Cary owns about 19 acres and will soon own nine more on the eastern and western sides of North Academy Street and North Harrison Avenue. It put out a call two months ago for applicants to plan a reimagined town hall campus.
The area between North Academy Street and Chapel Hill Road could include taller buildings, shopping, entertainment, transit, residences, and restaurants. 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 housing departments like the police station.
The project would be one of many in the works in downtown Cary, including the redevelopment of the Rogers building and the construction of a 253-space parking deck shared by the town, First Baptist Church, and future residents of Meridian Cary.
Several of the 18 applicants have worked in Cary and the Triangle before.
They include Hines, the developer behind Fenton; Kane Realty, the company responsible for North Hills; and Hoffman & Associates, which are D.C.-based, but developed the Raleigh Union Bus Station and are planning mixed-used apartments downtown Raleigh. Raleigh-based team Loden Properties also submitted a proposal and is lined up to redevelop South Hills Mall in Cary.
Other developers are from Texas, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, with proposals to prioritize cultural diversity, housing affordability, and the environment if selected as the developer.
Ted Boyd, the economic development director for Cary, said the town will take several months to “fully review and digest what’s been submitted.”
Downtown Cary Park opening date
After weather and construction delays, Downtown Cary Park has a new opening date.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 7-acre, $69 million park will be held Nov. 19.
The park is bordered by Walker, Academy, Park, and Walnut streets. Fences surrounding the site will come down a few days before the ceremony.
Downtown Cary Park will have two performance pavilions, a dog park, a market, a garden house, and The Nest, a children’s play area home to two large wooden cardinals. There will be art exhibits, craft classes, concerts, fitness activities and movies.
Planning for the park began over 20 years ago.
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 8:54 AM.