In August 2023, the final phase of the last building on Fenton Main Street was completed. The Allison at Fenton, which staged its opening over six phases between January and August, is now occupying all of its common areas, recreational spaces, and the 357 apartments in the six-story building. As of September 2023, just over half of The Allison’s units were under lease, with 46% of the units occupied.

Fenton’s office space is two-thirds leased, with nine tenants. Discussions are underway with several additional tenants, and the developer anticipates fully leasing all of the remaining office space by early 2024. As of September 2023, CAMPO, IPS, and HHHunt have opened at One Fenton Main Street, and American Tower and Cushman & Wakefield are busy upfitting their spaces to open later this year.

During 2023, several new retailers opened at Fenton, including Blue Mercury, Faherty, Warby Parker, Von Kekel Salon, Boardroom Salon, and Face Foundrie. A new restaurant and bar, Sports & Social, also opened in the spring of 2023.

As of September, Fenton’s retail spaces on Main Street are 95% leased. The development now includes a total of 30 retail tenants, nine restaurants and bars, five office tenants, and the movie theater. In September, the developer met with Cary to share plans to build a new parking deck that would be located on the site of the temporary parking lot on the western side of the development (south of the theater along Ridgeview Walk Drive). The deck is envisioned to be constructed on an expedited schedule in 2024, between end-of-the-year holiday seasons.

In response to Cary’s call for proposals to redevelop 28 acres of Town-owned land encompassing the Town Hall campus, 18 developers submitted applications. The purpose of this request for qualifications is to identify a developer with the interest, capacity, and skills to design, plan, finance, construct, own, and operate a desirable mixed-use development project on one or more sites that will include office space, housing, retail, transit, and possibly entertainment. Cary is interested in attracting private-sector investments to its downtown to create redevelopment options to address gaps in the downtown retail, office, and housing offerings, as well as enhance its economic base. No timeline is specified for development, and more information is available at carync.gov/RFQdowntown.

In Q1, Cary issued permits for four new nonresidential projects, for a total of 5,714 square feet. The projects included the shell building for a future Starbucks at Preston Walk and a temporary apparatus bay for Cary Fire Station 4. 

Cary issued 114 nonresidential alterations and additions permits in Q1. The highlighted projects were:

• Cushman & Wakefield, 1 Fenton Main St.: Permit issued for upfit of 11,000 square feet of office space at Fenton.
• Withers & Ravenel, 214 E. Chatham St.: Permits issued for upfit of 16,000 square feet of new office space on two floors in the Rogers Building.
• Leith Jeep Autopark, 400 Autopark Blvd.: Permit issued for a 5,500-square-foot showroom and sales office expansion. 
• Northwest Cary YMCA, 6903 Carpenter Fire Station Road: Permit issued for an 11,000-square-foot rooftop solar panel array.

During Q1, 32 cases were in the rezoning process; one case was approved. 

• 22-REZ-08, Aerial Center Spectrum, 2000, 2501, 2701, 3000, 4000, 8001, and 9001 Aerial Center Parkway; 5001 and 6001 Hospitality Court; and unaddressed parcels on Airport Boulevard and Aerial Center Parkway: Rezones 74.46 acres from General Commercial, General Commercial Conditional Use, and Office and Institutional to Office/Research and Development Conditional Use with zoning conditions that include limiting development of the site to a maximum of 708,000 heated square feet. The Airport Overlay District will remain.

In Q1, Cary approved 43 development plans. The notable plans approved this quarter include three new residential projects in downtown Cary:

• Townes at Chatham Walk Condos, 110 Urban Drive: Condominium development with five new multifamily dwelling units as an extension of the Chatham Walk development project.
• Walkers Row Multifamily, 211 Byrum St.: New 44-unit multifamily development at the northeast corner of Byrum Street and Walker Street. 
• Massey Condominiums, 202 Byrum St.: New 17-unit multifamily development at the southeast corner of Byrum Street and Walker Street.