It is not exactly a resurrection – after all, no one expected a piece of land already zoned for highway business to sit undisturbed forever – but it has been a long time in terms of Wake Forest development history.
It was late in 2009 that the Quail Crossing shopping center construction was abandoned after the land was cleared, graded, infrastructure installed and the retaining wall along the Smith Creek Greenway was almost complete. All Wake Forest learned was that the grading company had gone into default followed shortly after that with the news the property owner, JDH Capital of Charlotte, was suing Food Lion and its owner, Delhaize America.
Food Lion was involved because its newest grocery store called Bloom was to be the anchor store.
There was no more news until we learned that Food Lion had purchased the property in July 2012 for $1.7 million and had stopped using the name Bloom for any of its stores.
Time passed. Pines grew up, now covering the site.
Fast forward to 2023 or really September of 2022 when the engineering firm of Bowman North Carolina Ltd. In Raleigh submitted a plan from the owner, Food Lion, for a multi-use plan for that property.
The plan is for a 6,000-square-foot restaurant next to NC 98 on the north side of the triangular property, a 12,640-square-foot daycare center on the northwest side near Jones Dairy Road and a 35,926-square-foot grocery store called Bloom at the triangle’s point. Or at least that is what the local scuttlebutt says, and the size is right for what used to be called Bloom.
One does have to question whether the infrastructure installed in 2009 is still workable, but the plan does call for a sizeable amount of green space – 335,888 square feet as against 245,966 square feet in impervious roofs and paving for parking.
And we will have to see whether Wake Forest still wants a Bloom grocery store.
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November 5, 2024
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4 Responses
What would be wonderful is if the Town somehow makes it possible for the residents on the north side of 98 to be able to safely cross Hwy 98 by foot or bike to this planned shopping mecca on the south side of 98. The planning documents for Wake Forest repeatedly say “pedestrian and bicycle access should be emphasized.” For now, any pedestrian or cyclist attempting to cross 98 anywhere along its route no doubt has a death wish.
No more grocery stores
Specialty like Trader Joe’s or Fresh Market would be wonderful
Absolutely a Trader Joe’s and/or Fresh Market would be most welcome. If there’s any doubt this area could sustain either or both stores, just take a look at Wegman’s!
Unfortunately, Wake Forest does not have the population those two stores require for their site selection. Both require a minimum of 75,000 people in a certain radius of the store. Down the road I think you will see them, but at the moment, we only have a population of 55,000 so we need to grow more before they will come to this area.