The Triangle’s downtowns are on the rise

Raleigh’s downtown was, not so long ago, a dreary mall on Fayetteville Street and lots of closed storefronts with a couple of restaurants and others that seemed to move in and move out quickly. But, under former Mayor Charles Meeker and current Mayor Nancy McFarlane, the downtown has undergone a dramatic transformation, with nightlife, a variety of restaurants, entertainment venues.

Other communities in the area now want to do likewise, and they’re getting results.

Wake Forest, with 35,000 residents roughly half an hour north of Raleigh, once was a small town with charm but not a lot of activity in its downtown area. The town began to get younger residents years ago, some interested in restoring interesting older homes in the town, others drawn by better deals in new housing developments.

A recent downtown Wake Forest concert drew 10,000 people. And the shops along the streets through the center of town and nearby are enjoying an increase in commerce. Town leaders have a notion for a small hotel downtown, a park, an expansion of restaurant choices.

Cary’s downtown has had an interesting dilemma. The town is now the state’s seventh-largest city with a population of roughly 140,000 people. But the development of a multitude of subdivisions seemed to leave downtown Cary neglected.

Cary now has a boutique hotel, the Mayton Inn, downtown and plans for a park that one day will also include a performance venue. The town’s aim is smart: bring in people of all ages and show them that downtown has something for everyone.

The interest in downtown revitalization isn’t confined to Wake County. The Johnston County town of Clayton now has about 20,000 people and is a popular commuter community for Raleigh. The town is investing, literally, in downtown businesses, improving the cosmetics of shops.

Garner is in there pitching, too, putting in a recreation center downtown. Some Garner residents don’t even feel the need to mention its closeness to Raleigh.

Cores are hubs, and hearts. Smaller communities bring a charm and an accessibility to those hearts that bigger cities don’t have. And increasingly, the Carys and Garners and Claytons and Wake Forests are seeking ways to get their residents, and their neighbors, to follow that heartbeat to downtown, dance along, and get in the rhythm of revitalization.

This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 6:29 PM with the headline "The Triangle’s downtowns are on the rise."