This section offers Cary citizens an update on the projects funded by the Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Parks and Transportation Bonds overwhelmingly approved in a 2019 referendum.

Downtown Park Construction and Office Space 

The Cary Downtown Park hit a major milestone in December when it finalized construction plans. Construction of the seven-acre park in downtown is expected to begin in January. In the meantime, construction began on the Downtown Park office space located in the lower level of the Cary Regional Library. The 2,200-square-foot renovated space will include open and private offices, conference and break rooms, and other supporting space. Phase 1 of the renovation is expected to be complete by March in time for another general contractor to temporarily move in to manage construction of the Downtown Park.

Once the Downtown Park is complete, Phase 2 renovations will begin to complete the remaining interior finishes and furniture installations so Cary staff can permanently move in to manage the park.

Penny Road Elementary School Park Renovation

In December, Cary completed the first stage of park renovations at Penny Road Elementary School Park. The first stage included re-mulching playgrounds, pond maintenance, fence replacement and installation, field lighting maintenance, and complete renovations of the softball and multipurpose fields. The next phase of renovations will include bathroom, picnic shelter, and deck renovations. Playgrounds are open now, and fields will be open in early spring. Park renovations are projected to be complete this summer.

Construction work commenced at Barnabas Jones Farmstead, C.F. Ferrell Store and Warehouses, and Good Hope Farm. Emphasis this quarter has been on site work, foundations, footings, and addressing other structural repairs and reinforcements identified in previous engineering assessments. This stabilization work on the historic buildings is being conducted with particular care as some structures date back to the 1840s. Completion is anticipated this year. 

 

Cary reached several key milestones this quarter in the important work to preserve its oldest residential structure, the Nancy Jones House. After submitting a relocation report to the State Historic Preservation Office in an effort to keep the Nancy Jones House listed in the National Register of Historic Places during its move, the report has since been unanimously approved by the National Register Advisory Committee and the National Parks Service. This approval allows the Nancy Jones House to remain listed in the National Register during its move. Additionally, at the end of the year, the 1.17-acre lot that had been proposed as the relocation site for the house was conveyed to the Town of Cary. This allows for the relocation process to move forward, including finalizing contracts, site preparation, and scheduling the date of the house move, which is anticipated to occur in the spring.

Since the acquisition of this 219-acre property in Chatham County in August 2019, staff has been actively managing the property, including a portion of the site with existing structures. Capital Area Preservation conducted a historic assessment of the buildings present on the property. Their findings identified one building on the property with historical significance: the Markham-Ferrell Farmhouse, which was determined to be more than 200 years old. Plans to stabilize and preserve the house are underway.

The Town of Cary is working with the Cary First Christian Church to restore headstones and improve landscaping in the Cary First Christian Church Cemetery. The cemetery is a local historic landmark that dates to the 1800s and is historically significant because of its association with Cary’s first African American religious congregation. This restoration project will be another step forward in efforts to use preservation of significant historical resources for the advancement of social equity and inclusivity in Cary. 

Downtown Cary shined extra bright this season. For several weeks in November, citizens walked among and marveled at a series of towering, colorfully lit structures resembling flowers not of this world. The “Botanical Lights” exhibit was created by artists Julia Gartrell and Astrobotanicals and presented as part of Academy Street Artwork Projects, co-sponsored by the Town of Cary and Cary Visual Arts. Soon after “Botanical Lights” disappeared, a series of Chinese Lanterns appeared in locations throughout downtown for the month of December. The lanterns, featuring larger than life eagles, elephants, tigers, red pandas, snakes, a bear, a panther, and a rhino, were but a few examples of the types of artwork normally displayed at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival held at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Although the festival was canceled this year, the lanterns on display served as powerful reminders of the popular attraction. These unexpected pop-up art installations served to surprise, delight, and spark joy in the public entering into the winter months. 

On October 22, New Hope Disc Golf opened to the public, providing another safe option for individuals to get out in nature and stay active. The new course is receiving rave reviews from the disc golf community, which has rated it one of the top courses in the state, according to Udisc.com. New Hope Disc Golf saw 5,795 rounds played in the month of November, more than 33% of all the rounds played last year at Middle Creek Disc Golf. The course, located at 2584 New Hope Church Road, features 22 holes with 58 tees, multiple layout options, and three practice baskets. 

Point Concept Designs installed new timeline panels in the Cary Heritage Museum at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in December. The panels replaced those installed at the opening of the museum in 2000. In addition to expanding the narrative through Cary’s sesquicentennial in 2021, new entries share a more diversified history by adding more about women and people of color in Cary’s past. This project was supported with funding from the Friends of the Page-Walker. More updates are planned to continue to refresh the museum in 2021.

Engagement with the senior population continued to be a priority for Cary. From September to December 2020, more than 600 seniors participated in 35 different virtual senior programs. Programs originated from instructors’ homes and from the new “virtual studio” at the Cary Senior Center. Cary offered senior programs centered on education, fitness, and computer learning and also partnered with Resources for Seniors, a local nonprofit, to offer virtual programs and appointments concerning Medicare enrollment, mental health, caregiver support, and financial advice. Additionally, Cary coordinated with Cary Senior TechEd to advise seniors on how to use their home technology to access the new world of virtual programming. 

On November 10, Cary hosted its first drive-thru Lunch for the Brave: Honoring and Serving Veterans. While the format of the luncheon looked different this year due to the pandemic, Cary still made it a priority to celebrate and honor veterans with a catered lunch. By partnering with Backyard Bistro, Cary served free hot meals to more than 170 Cary veterans. Council members Jack Smith and Jennifer Robinson greeted and thanked the veterans as they picked up their lunches from Herb Young Community Center. 

Each November and February, Specialized Recreation families participate in a program called “A Night of Giving & Service.” In the spirit of giving and love, they pay it forward and support various organizations that are doing great work in the Cary community. This year, Cary offered “A Time of Giving & Service” three times via virtual sessions. Twenty participants made cards for doctors, nurses, dentists, teachers, police officers, fire fighters, sanitation workers, and other essential workers. Some participants enjoyed the service project so much that they made additional cards after the program to send to Mayor Weinbrecht, Cary police officers, and Cary firefighters.  

This quarter, the Cary Teen Council, whose primary purpose is to serve through volunteerism, took on two major projects. First, the group partnered with WakeMed Cary Hospital on a card giving campaign for health care workers, sharing thanks for the workers’ continued efforts to provide critical care to patients. They also partnered with Carolina Exteriors to implement a contactless delivery location for the Toys for Tots toy drive; more than 100 members gathered boxes of donated toys to provide families with gifts for children up to age 16.

Virtual programming picked up speed this quarter as more than 1,100 people participated in more than 70 programs. Cary transitioned several traditional holiday activities online, including a virtual Christmas Tree Lighting, Hanukkah Menorah Lighting, and Kwanzaa Celebration. The Cary community continues to value the virtual programs as program offerings become more varied and participation numbers increase. Participants comment that they are excited to be connected with people again, happy to be active in a safe environment, learning more than they expected, and having fun.

Cary’s annual Gifting Tree Project sold out again this year. Local families, schools, and organizations decorated a record 70 trees displayed along South Academy Street throughout the month of December. Participants competed to win a donation, provided by The Mayton Inn, to the nonprofit of their choice. This year’s winner, receiving more than 6,400 votes, was Gigi’s Playhouse: Down Syndrome Achievement Centers. Down the street, Santa received a record 1,100 letters in his box at the Downtown Park, eclipsing last year’s total of 750. Letters came from seven states and 36 municipalities.

Building on the success of the Triangle Esports Championships held at the Herb Young Community Center in February 2020, Cary hosted its first online Esports event on October 31. Six teams, with 18 participants ages 13 to 40, competed in Rocket League, best described as “soccer but with rocket-powered cars.” 

On October 30, WakeMed Soccer Park hosted the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championships. Fifteen men’s and women’s cross-country teams from the ACC came to Cary to decide the 2020 championships, won by the Notre Dame men’s and N.C. State University women’s teams. In women’s soccer, the ACC quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship matches were all held at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park from Nov. 9-15. Florida State University captured its seventh ACC championship in a thrilling 2-1 defeat of UNC. In men’s soccer, the ACC championship match on November 22 featured the top two teams in the country. Clemson upset Pittsburgh 2-1 to claim its fourth ACC title.

From Nov. 9–15, the Cary Tennis Park hosted the Atlantic Tire Championships for the sixth year. The men’s professional tennis tournament is an ATP Challenger level event that features the world’s rising tennis stars, many of whom play in the U.S. Open. This year’s tournament featured 53 competitors from 20 different countries, but unlike in past years, the tournament was closed to the general public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now a year old, myCary has received more than 300 enhancements. The flexibility of the platform has enabled Cary to quickly adjust to meet new business process needs during the pandemic. New updates include adding fields for virtual program offerings, adjusting the process to expedite refunds, and launching a streamlined account management page. Planning for the next phase of development is underway, which will provide a platform for ticketed events, league management, Cary Teen Council, volunteer management, and donation management.