A $30M sale is set to reshape Cary and displace 140 families in Chatham Estates
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Toll Brothers is under contract to buy the land for the Maple Avenue project for about $30 million.
- About 140 remaining Chatham Estates families must be off the property by June 30.
- Developers plan 427 high-end homes with amenities, with work projected to begin in 2027.
For decades, Chatham Estates Mobile Home Park has been a quiet pocket of affordability for hundreds of families, seniors and immigrants in Cary.
But fears of displacement have loomed over the 27-acre mobile-home community, and now with a planned sale they are a reality.
According to Town of Cary records, Pennsylvania-based luxury builder Toll Brothers is under contract to buy the land at 607 Cedar St. for the Maple Avenue redevelopment project. The property, owned by Curtis Westbrook Sr. for over 40 years, is expected to sell for about $30 million, according to Triangle Business Journal, which first reported the news.
Toll Brothers and developer partner Kennedy Wilson plan to build 427 homes in the million-dollar range. The site plans propose:
- 97 townhomes
- 330 multifamily apartments (studio to over 2 bedrooms)
- A maximum building height of 90 feet
- A 10-foot-wide greenway connecting to downtown Cary, along with a pool house, outdoor kitchen, a clubhouse, coworking space and a fitness center
Chatham Estates residents first learned they had six months to vacate the property in December. Westbrook, now in his 90s, told residents then that he had found a buyer and anticipated closing the deal this year. The remaining Chatham residents, many who have been there for decades, must be off the property by June 30.
‘Extraordinary courage’
On average, Chatham Estates residents pay $400 a month for the land their mobile home sits on. The average rent in Cary is almost $2,000.
Finding an affordable mobile home park is difficult in the Triangle area. Families being displaced will have to take time off work to find a new location, new schools for their children, jobs and, for many, transportation or interpreters.
Councilwoman Michelle Craig, who represents District B where the mobile home park is located, called the situation “devastating.”
“For three years, these residents have organized, advocated, and shown extraordinary courage in the face of displacement,” Craig said in a statement. “Many residents have lived in Chatham Estates for generations, and what’s being lost is not just housing, but life savings, stability including jobs and schools, and a crucial support network.”
Katia Roebuck, an organizer with the NC Congress of Latino Organizations, said she is sad and angry. Despite community efforts to help families relocate, she said there is not enough time or money to help everyone.
“People are still struggling,” Roebuck said in a phone call. “The $800,000 that Dorcas Ministries is using to assist people is not enough and not everybody qualifies.”
In 2024, Dorcas Ministries, now part of the nonprofit NeighborUp, launched Stable Homes Cary in partnership with the town to ensure $800,000 went to help relocate families. Depending on the size, moving a mobile home can cost between $3,000 and $20,000.
That’s if the home can be moved without falling apart. Some of the homes in Chatham Estates were built in the 1990s and have additions like ramps for wheelchairs and porches.
“It takes time to move,” Roebuck said.
A $2M demand for support
Chatham Estates residents and advocates rallied this month after they learned Toll Brothers would buy the land.
At a news conference, they called on Toll Brothers and Wilson to invest $2 million into a Resident Relocation Fund.
“To a billion-dollar developer, $2 million is a rounding error,” said Abigael Dawah, a Chatham Estates resident and single mother of two. “But to the families behind me, it is the difference between a future and a disaster.”
The developers declined to attend the gathering, and the community is still seeking a meeting. The News & Observer reached out to the developers for comment by email and phone Friday, but did not get a response.
“We deserve they have the decency to meet with us,” Dawah said. “Don’t just build luxury; show some humanity.”
Success in the chaos
André Anthony, the chief executive officer, of NeighborUp, said it has been preparing for years to help residents navigate the chaos of finding a new home.
About 140 families in Chatham Estates are left, but over the last few months, Anthony said several have successfully moved.
“A lot of these families, even though they knew there was a good chance of this happening, it’s still hard to prepare for,” Anthony said. “We have been able to provide financial assistance for them to relocate. They’ve been receiving services through our food pantries. ... All things considered, things are trending in a positive direction.”
Anthony said the local community has also been helpful. One church donated moving kits that included packing supplies and gift cards.
Still, more help is needed. NeighborUp has an online link at neighborup.org/chathamestates where donations can be made.
Work on the land is projected to begin in 2027.
As Cary races toward a population of 200,000, the loss of Chatham Estates marks the end of one of the town’s last affordable neighborhoods.
“There is nowhere in Cary that can absorb this many families at once, and there is no way, despite our best efforts, to fully make this beloved community whole again. With as many as 700 residents displaced Cary will feel the loss,” Craig said.
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 5:56 PM.