Sites

Cary owns or is in the process of negotiating for multiple parcels that offer a minimum
combined 28.01 acres on the eastern and western sides of N. Academy Street and N.
Harrison Avenue. Cary owns sites A (18.67 acres) and B (.11 acre), and is working
towards acquiring properties on site C (9.23 acres). Sites A and B are currently being
used by Cary for a variety of municipal services, and site C is designated for a future
multimodal center.

 FAQ

1. What does a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) mean? Why did the Town choose this process and will there be an RFP?

A Request for Qualification or RFQ is a process to determine the qualifications of a developer(s). Specifically, Cary is interested in a developer(s) capacity and ability to design, plan, finance, construct, own and operate a desirable mixed-use development project on one or more sites. The goal is to identify a preferred developer(s). This RFQ is not a solicitation for design concepts or plans. Subsequent steps or process beyond the RFQ will be considered after selection of a preferred developer(s).

2. Why Now?

The Fire Administration Building on Academy Street is no longer sufficient for the Fire Department needs and is already in process of relocating to other town owned facilities. This vacancy allows for the potential repurposing of this space for other business use(s), preferably uses that would contribute to the existing mix of active and engaging businesses in Downtown Cary.

The Multi-Modal Transportation Center has been a project in the works for many years. The identified location can accommodate existing Go Cary buses, have appropriate length Amtrak platforms to reduce closures on Harrison Ave and Academy Street, and accommodate new transit options like BRT. Cary is in the process of acquiring the properties within this outlined area and developing a new Multi-Modal Transportation Center is more near term than long term.

Town Hall Campus is an 18-acre campus with several office buildings, a community center, Page Walker Arts & History Center, a parking deck and many surface parking lots. The property is underutilized and the office buildings are becoming outdated in terms of function, safety and efficiency. The Page Walker is the exception to this assessment and its historic value to Cary and this site specifically will be preserved and maintained. A more efficient design for town hall needs would better utilize the land and could create additional opportunities for office, residential, retail, and open space.

3. What is the timeline for redeveloping these three areas?

The only defined timing at this point is for potential developers to respond to the RFQ by June 30, 2023. The goal is to identify a preferred developer(s) but no other timeline is specified at this phase in the process. As stated in Question 2, redevelopment of the Fire Administration Building and construction of the Multi-Modal Transportation Center are more pressing. The Town Hall Campus project is more long-term so many ideas/concepts could be considered. Like all projects that occur in Cary, any redevelopment will follow the respective regulatory processes, which often involve opportunities for public input.

While a news story can make a development project feel imminent, the reality is development projects in Downtown Cary take time from idea to completion. The ideas for the Downtown Cary Park block began in the early 2000’s and the Downtown Park is nearly completed almost 23 years later. The Northwoods Jordan/Meridian Cary project ideas began approximately 15 years ago and is just now under construction at the corner of Harrison and Chatham Street. Each of these projects evolved greatly from the first idea to approved plan as they were influenced by citizen engagement, town council and Cary staff.

4. Are the images in the RFQ illustrations or plans?

The images included in the RFQ are not plans, they are illustrations intended to create an aspirational vision about what could occur on Town owned property.

5. What will happen to the Page Walker building and garden?

Issuing an RFQ is the first step in determining if potential redevelopment occurs on Town Hall Campus. There’s lots of additional information that will need to be worked through to determine if redevelopment occurs. One thing we know for sure is the Page Walker Arts and History Center and Page Walker Garden are an important part of Cary’s history. If redevelopment does occur, the Page Walker Building would remain in its current location.

6. How is the property envisioned in the 2040 Imagine Cary Community Plan?

As stated in the Imagine Cary Community Plan, the vision for Downtown Cary is that it will be a vibrant, sustainable, historic, pedestrian oriented urban downtown, rich in charm and character. As the “heart and soul of Cary,” people will work, live, visit, recreate and shop in downtown. There will be an emphasis on office, residential, retail, entertainment, and civic development. Downtown will be supported by a multi-modal transportation hub serving pedestrians, bicyclists, bus transit, trains and motorists. Downtown Cary will be a community gathering place for surrounding neighborhoods, all of Cary, and the Triangle region.

The Multi-Modal Transportation Center and Town Hall Campus are located within the North Academy Subarea. The plan is silent in regards to any type of change to Town Hall Campus. The plan does mention potential for a regional transit hub but no specific property is identified.

7. What would a redevelopment process consist of?

Any significant redevelopment proposal for Town owned land would likely require that the property is rezoned. Rezonings in Cary follow a robust public process for multiple opportunities for public input (Rezoning Process Flowchart).

A key part of any rezoning includes an analysis of how a development proposal aligns with the vision established in the Imagine Cary Community Plan. The rezoning process will include a project specific analysis of traffic impacts, historic preservation, mix of uses including housing, circulation, and connectivity (for vehicles, pedestrians, transit users and bicyclists), parking, community gathering area, trees and open space, among other items.

This process takes many months, includes a neighborhood meeting, a public hearing and other opportunities for citizen input.

8. How will the Town involve citizens in these projects?

As it has been with every part of Cary’s evolution citizen input feedback and participation will be vital to these redevelopment projects. There will be many opportunities for citizens to weigh in and make the project(s) one that reflects their aspirations.

In addition, we welcome feedback and questions by citizens by contacting economic.development@carync.gov.

9. How much will the project cost? How will the Town pay for it, and will property taxes go up?

These projects remain in the early stages of development, and project cost and sources of funding have not yet been determined.

10. How many people currently work on the Town Hall Campus? Where will they go?

There are currently over 400 employees that work on Town Hall Campus. As we gain more information about the potential for redevelopment a detailed phasing and relocation plan would be developed.

11. Will the Town Hall and Police Department stay downtown?

There will be a Town Hall and space for a police department headquarters owned by the Town on one of the sites.

12. What is the soonest we might see construction activity occurring?

It is too early to speculate on how soon redevelopment could occur. We know that development in Cary is a multi-year process, with different pieces of land likely to end up on differing schedules. The majority of projects currently under construction in Downtown Cary would likely be complete before work on Town Hall campus began.

13. How many responses did you get for the RFQ? 

We are very pleased with having received 18 responses to our RFQ. Submittals were comprised of teams that included companies from seven different states including North Carolina, but also as far away as New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin. We expect to take several months to fully digest the array of thoughts, skills, and abilities shown in these responses before charting next steps. 

For other questions, comments or to receive copies of the responses, please email us at economic.development@carync.gov.

Schedule

• Issue Date: May 10, 2023
• Deadline for Inquiries: May 31, 2023 at 12:00 pm EDT
• Deadline for Cary Responses to Questions: June 7, 2023
• Response Due Date & Time: June 30, 2023 at 11:00 am EDT

Contact

Scot Berry
Chief Development Officer
Phone: 311 in Cary, or 919-469-4000 from outside town limits
311@carync.gov