Update Jan. 23, 2019
Wake Forest Community Library Mark Forestieri, the director of Wake County Facilities Design & Construction, has good news this week about the library. “Construction is complete and furniture is being delivered, so we’ll be ready in late February. As for the official date, that decision will be finalized by Library staff and Wake County Communications. We expect to hear something by the end of the week.”
Northern Wake Senior Center will have an additional 9,000 square feet and renovations throughout the original center on East Holding Avenue. There will be a new entrance to the building, an expanded parking lot and a new entrance on the extension of Brooks Street which has finally connected Elm Avenue to East Holding. Among the new features will be an addition to the exercise room, a new roof and a new multipurpose room.
Focus Design Builders has the $3.9 million contract and the target date for completion is May 1, 2019. Focus Design won the contract because it promised to complete the work within 269 days – nine months – when the other bidders’ numbers were 300 to 365 days. It is one of the projects, with the Joyner Park Community Center, financed through the 2014 bond referendum.
Joyner Park Community Center is only the second community center in the Wake Forest park system. The completion date is June 31, 2019.
Barnhill Construction Company has guaranteed the cost will be $11.7 million. The 32,000-square-foot, two-story building will have a full size gym with an elevated walking track along with a multi-purpose room, restrooms, a classroom, a studio, offices and storage space.
Future projects–Technical Review Committee
When the technical review committee met on Feb. 15 in 2018, the members reviewed a plan called Capital Sportsplex, a major master site plan submitted by Calyx, a Raleigh engineering firm, for a sports complex on Star Road with a 250,000-square-foot building, one multi-use field, five soccer fields, two outdoor tennis courts, six sand volleyball courts and four baseball fields.
According to Jason Cannon, the town’s economic development planner, there has been no further action on the part of Calyx and the plan appears to be dead.
When the technical review committee met on Dec. 6, 2018, they reviewed two plans:
*SD-14-03, Regency at Heritage subdivision. Construction drawings submitted by the Timmons Group for 67 single-family detached houses on about 37 acres. The plan for the subdivision on Forestville Road was approved several years ago.
*SP-18-15, Wegmans Master Plan. A legislative master plan associated with the Forbes planned unit development submitted by ColeJenest & Stone for 105,000 square feet of commercial space.
Future Projects – Design Review Board
The Design Review Board met on Dec. 13, 2018 and considered a request filed by Hale Architecture PC for a major architectural Design Review for a proposed addition to the American Legion Post 187 at 225 East Holding Avenue.
Streets, Roads, Greenways and Transportation
*Preliminary work by the contractor, Fred Smith Company, began March 5 on the Stadium Drive Complete Street project. The town board approved the $6,789,876 contract with the Fred Smith Company in December. Utilities have been moved. The project should be complete in the fall of 2019.
The project includes resurfacing North Avenue. There will be a roundabout at the intersection of Stadium, North Avenue and Wingate Street. A center turn lane will be added to Stadium along with turn lanes at intersections and driveways and bump-outs for buses. From Glencoe Drive to the Richland Creek bridge there will be a 10-foot multi-use path on the south and a 5-foot sidewalk on the north. From the bridge to Wingate Street there will be sidewalks on both sides.
*Ligon Mill Road Operational Improvements has been listed as being construction stage for several months. It is difficult to get information because Eric Keravuori, the director of engineering, retired in late 2018 and Holly Miller, the environmental engineer left the town on Dec. 13.
The project for the section of Ligon Mill Road west from South Main Street to a new section built for an apartment project will provide a center turn lane and turn lanes for driveways and entrances. Acquiring the right-of-way from several owners has been one reason the project has appeared to be stalled at times.
Commercial plans under review as of October 2018
(The latest update for the planning department’s monthly report is October 2018. Also, the latest update of the annual development report is 2016.)
*Forestville Development Building at 1704 South Main Street will replace the large gray house which has stood there for years and has been razed. The replacement will be an 8,000-square-foot building that could hold four businesses, including a small restaurant or catering service.
*Heritage Branch Daycare at 3200 Rogers Road, 1.5 acres in the southeast corner where Heritage Branch Road meets Rogers Road, is owned by R E D P LLC, a Wake Forest. It will sit in front of another daycare.
*425 and 435 Wait Avenue is planned for mixed use.
*Heritage Veterinary Clinic will be built at 3240 Rogers Road, a 2.11-acre lot north of Capital Creek Apartments and near the new daycare listed above.
*Texas Roadhouse Addition at 11440 Capital Boulevard.
*Datatek is a general commercial project at 12231 Wake Union Church Road which includes a large commercial building and a church.
*Heartland Dental will be at 1070 Forestville Road.
*Capital Powersports at 10920 Star Road will be vehicle sales.
*417 South Main Street will be an office.
*Tru Hotel will be built on Hampton Way Drive with frontage on Wake Union Church Road.
*1021 Forestville Road will include retail and a restaurant.
*Envision Science Academy Athletic Fields on Oak Grove Church Road.
*Stonewater Greenway Phase 5 at 11109 Ivy Creek Trail is a greenway and connection.
*Autobell Car Wash at 939 Gateway Commons Circle.
*Moffat Pipe is a proposed office/industrial building on One World Way.
*Wegmans grocery store on Forbes Road and the N.C. 98 Bypass.
*Durham Rescue Mission is planning a retail store at 2109 South Main Street.
*American Legion Post addition at 225 East Holding Avenue.
October residential projects under review by the Planning Department
*Stonemill Falls Phases 2-3 on Rogers Road for 71 single-family house lots. The master plan has been approved.
*Kitchin Farms Phase 2 on Burlington Mills and Ligon Mill roads for 123 single-family lots. The master plan has been approved.
*Glen Oaks is on U.S. 1 south of Holden Road and would be 226 single-family lots with 68 townhouses.
*Wake Union Place Phase 3 for 84 townhouses and 288 apartments on Wake Union Church Road, Kearney Road and Capital Boulevard. This was not recommended by the planning board but it is now being “substantially” changed and would need another public hearing and planning board and town board approval.
*Forestville Towns for 95 units on the deadend section of Forestville Road behind the Real McCoys sports bar was approved by the town board in March.
*Townhouses on Main is 40 townhouses on North Main Street.
*Wake Forest Goldston is for 76 single-family lots along Traditions Grande Boulevard.
*Austin Creek Phase 5B is for 13 single-family lots. The master plan has been approved.
*Regency at Heritage is for 67 single-family lots on Forestville Road. It was approved in January 2014. It will be linked to Heritage South by a bridge over Sanford Creek that will extend Marshall Farm Road.
*Austin Creek Phases 6 and 7 on Wait Avenue are for 67 single-family lots. The master plan has been approved.
*Foundation Drive subdivision would be 34 lots along Foundation Drive between Heritage High School and the shopping center anchored by Publix.
*Tryon Phases 13,17 and 18 on Averette Road will be 69 single-family home lots.
*Townes at Gateway Commons Amendment is a change in six lots for the townhouse plan on Gateway Commons Circle.
*Tryon Phases 6 & 8 will be 74 single-family lots on Averette Road.
*Soule Property Subdivision calls for 36 single-family lots on Wall Road.
*Ligon Mill Road Apartments is for 188 units on Forbes Road.
*Ledge Rock Green would be a 22-lot single-family home subdivision on NC 98.
*Averette Subdivision on Averette Road would have 687 single-family lots and 294 townhouses.
*Willows at Traditions amendment is for 94 townhouse units on Traditions Grande Boulevard.
4 Responses
Rubber stamping town council. I don’t see any news about road improvements to accommodate the unchecked growth. The mayor, council, and planning say its the states responsibility but the town is being irresponsible by allowing such rapid growth.
I stopped voting for any incumbents a few years ago.
No more woods; no more open land. SAD!!
Connie Mitchell
Too much at one time. It’s a shame none of the town leaders can see the destruction they are allowing. Not my town any more!
It is truly sad. In the name of what? They all say they want quality of life but all they are doing is ruining it. We are actively looking to move to s community that will provide what WF used to.