20 years in the making, Wake County town begins building the downtown it never had
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- Morrisville begins first-phase construction on long-planned downtown project.
- Initial development includes 215 housing units, retail space and a new park.
- Full 25-acre buildout aims to establish a central district near Town Hall Drive.
Morrisville doesn’t have a downtown.
It’s a conspicuous omission that town leaders have sought to fix for nearly 20 years, planning and buying property in pursuit of an idea.
It’s an idea that’s finally getting off the ground.
A ceremonial groundbreaking will be held Wednesday afternoon with construction set to start soon on the first phase of that plan: a four-story 215-unit apartment complex with retail and commercial spaces on the first floor and a new community park with small retail “cottages” and space for live music.
“What this is really intended to do is be the first phase of what is ultimately a 25-acre project that will create the downtown that doesn’t exist,” Town Manager Brandon Zuidema said.
The full 25 acres is bounded by Town Hall Drive, Jeremiah Street, Church Street and land next to First Baptist Church and Fire Station No. 1. The park and cottage retail shops will be near town hall while the multifamily complex and retail will surround the library.
“It’s going to be transformational,” Mayor TJ Cawley said. “We used to call ourselves the heart of the Triangle, and this will be the heart of the town that used to be the heart of the Triangle.”
Years of planning Morrisville downtown
Establishing a downtown, or town center, has talked about for years in the town of about 30,000 residents.
Town leaders have bought property, helped bring the library to its current location, installed a traffic circle, opened a new dog park and made significant stormwater improvements in the area.
Morrisville entered into a public-private partnership with Singh Development Co. to build the apartment complex last year. The town will build the park, and the Town Council approved $18.9 million for the first phase.
Construction on this first phase is set to last about two years.
While Singh is based out of state, the company has had a local office in the Triangle for 20 years.
“From a business perspective, it’s a good project,” said Avi Grewal, Singh’s director of development. “But also from us living in the area, to have a hand in creating something special like this, was important to us.”
Often local governments will pursue similar projects but they end up on the edges of the municipal borders, he said.
“The really unique and cool part of this project is the town’s very forward-thinking in accumulating all this project, kind of right in the center of Morrisville,” Grewal said.
The park will include the town green, a lawn with space for 2,500 people, a stage, an educational garden, restrooms, public art, a water feature and eight cottage retail spaces.
Singh will manage the retail with a focus on local businesses.
“What we’re looking for there is boutique, unique, that would be different in Morrisville that will draw people,” Zuidema said. “So, with all due respect to the cell phone companies and mattress stores, we’re not looking for a Verizon store.”
The park will serve residents, but he hopes the entire project also will attract new visitors.
“We’re really trying to create a place where people want to come and gather,” Zuidema said. “You know, not only our residents, but also people in the region that would come here and support Morrisville.”
Other municipalities, like Cary and Raleigh, have revitalized their downtowns with major investment in public spaces.
“There is a trend in our area of creating these community spaces that do have uniqueness to them, but that are a draw for the community and residents who are choosing where to live, and I think that will just help with the attraction of Morrisville,” said Christie Moser, president of the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce.
The groundbreaking is at 4:30 p.m. at Healthy Food Hub, 280 Town Hall Drive.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 7:30 AM.
