In June Weingarten Realty purchased 25 empty acres of the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center at the Capital Boulevard (U.S. 1) and Stadium Drive intersection, and this week the company is announcing that retailers TJ Maxx, Petco and Michaels will be building stores there soon.
Also, discount department store Ross, Rack Room Shoes and Kirklands, a home décor company, are either interested or definitely will be making their way there soon.
“We pick up our permits this week and start work in mid-October,” Brian Mountcastle, the construction manager for Weingarten’s mid-Atlantic U.S. Region, said Monday. “We are printing the advertising/leasing signs to go on the corner of Stadium and U.S. 1. You should also start seeing Michaels, TJ Maxx and Ross putting up ‘coming soon’ signs as well over the next few weeks.”
There have been two earlier development phases for the shopping center built on land purchased from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, land once deeded to Wake Forest College by college supporters. The seminary still owns about 12 acres that can be reached from dead-end Agora Drive.
The first phase included the Lowes Food grocery store that opened in 2002; the second was the opening of a Kohl’s in 2008. Across Capital Boulevard and slightly to the south are the 60 acres where Weingarten and Interface Properties planned the Wake Union Place shopping center. The land is now owned by a firm from Miami, Florida, with no plans for development though the rezoning and master plan are still in effect.
Fifth Third Bank, which is still advertising it plans to build on its site on South Main Street, also still owns a lot next to the Olive Garden restaurant in Wake Forest Crossing.
