Development Series: Chatham Street from Walker to Academy

As our downtown revitalization efforts continue, I’d like to bring you regular, bite-sized development updates so you can have a better idea why the hammers are flying or the dirt is moving in certain areas. I’ll keep things more image heavy and for this first update I am going to concentrate on East Chatham Street between Walker Street and Academy Street.

The aerial below provides some context and the color coding indicates specific projects as labeled below the picture.

Yellow – Walker Street Intersection Improvements; Green – Rogers East/West Development; Red – Daybreak Restaurant; Blue – The Center

WALKER STREET IMPROVEMENTS

Always love finding old photos of Downtown Cary and to orient you a bit, this display of the Cary Fire Department was taken where Modern Service is currently located with Walker Street behind the trucks and Chatham Street to the left.

New development and redevelopment created more places that people wanted to walk and shop like The Perfect Piece, Big Dom’s Bagel Shop, Pro’s Epicurean Market & Cafe, Sidebar, Pizzeria Faulisi, Bond Brothers , and Postmaster. To look at the photo below from 2018, you can tell this intersection worked fine for cars, but not the best for pedestrians. You can learn more about this now completed project on Cary’s Walker Street Improvements Project Page but a couple more photos in case you don’t venture there.

2018 Google Street view Pic before Improvements. Note the overhead power lines and traffic signals and limited crosswalks.

The approved plan to make a sidewalk connection on the west side of Walker Street down to Waldo and can see the larger landing areas a the intersections making it safer and more comfortable to cross.

View today with decorative mast arm signals, powerlines removed, crosswalks everywhere and decorative pavers and streetlights to be consistent with other parts of Downtown Cary.

ROGERS EAST / WEST DEVELOPMENT

Rogers Redevelopment is a Northwoods Associates property that is being developed by Chatham Street Commercial. Per their website,

“The Rogers is a mixed-use re-development of the former Rogers Restaurant and Motel site, and an adjoining parcel, in downtown Cary. Owned and operated by Bill and Barbara Rogers, the Rogers Restaurant was a staple of the Cary community for a generation until Bill and Barbara retired and closed the restaurant in the 1990’s. Located in the very heart of downtown Cary on Chatham Street between Rogers Alley and Walker Street; the project consists of 10,000 SF of street front retail and 40,000 SF of class-A office. The project has been designed as what is essentially two buildings (Rogers West | Rogers East) connected by a 3 story atrium style lobby in the center. The mid-century modern stylings of the Rogers Restaurant were an inspiration for the architecture of the Rogers West building.”

For more info on the history of the Rogers Family and the Rogers Restaurant and Motel, Cary Citizen has written several articles you can find here. The Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel is another resource for Cary’s history and their oral history page has some interviews with the Rogers.

Current view of former Rogers Restaurant and Motel

In addition to the new buildings, this project will also create new sidewalks that will reflect the wider sidewalks along Chatham Street in front of The Cary Theater, a new alleyway constructed behind the new buildings making a connection from the middle of Walker Street over to Rogers Alley, and significant improvement to Roger’s Alley making if more pedestrian friendly than just vehicular focused. The yellow arrows below demonstrate the new connection from Walker to Rogers and the improved connection between Cedar and Chatham.

An illustrative image to capture the concept of making Roger’s Alley more pedestrian friendly. Rogers Alley would still have some vehicular access but the goal is to make it more pedestrian in nature.

Rendering of Rogers East, which is on the corner of Walker and Chatham

Rogers West, which is on the corner of Chatham and Rogers Alley

DAYBREAK RESTAURANT

While new construction is necessary to achieve our goals in Downtown Cary, it’s also exciting to see new life come to existing buildings and Daybreak has done just that. In the midst of Covid-19, Daybreak opened it’s doors offering breakfast and lunch, which pairs nicely with its neighboring restaurant Crosstown Pub. The hard work and commitment of the Ryan Family in first Crosstown and now Daybreak is remarkable and we’re fortunate to have them call Downtown Cary home. The photos below are from their FB page…enjoy!

Interior photo of Daybreak which they have also promoted as a great spot to use for events.

The Center

Through a joint partnership of Chatham Street Commercial and Mackenan Property Group, the small strip shopping center which I always referred to as “You know, right across from Pharmacy where Taipei 101 is located”, is breathing new life into Downtown Cary.

As stated on their website, “Constructed c. 1970, 111 East Chatham Street has been a retail fixture in the heart of Downtown Cary for decades. Many years of deferred maintenance has seen the property decline, but renovation plans have been developed that include new storefronts, refurbished awnings, and miscellaneous other building and site improvements. In addition to the renovations, new food and beverage options will be coming to what we are affectionately calling “The Center”.

You may have noticed new facades and some new tenants but this project will also bring new, wider sidewalks as well as plaza/patio space in front of each building. Enjoy a few photos below taking us back a few years and then seeing some of the current progress.

Standing on Academy Street looking East on Chatham. If you look closely and just past the Shell Station (modern day Gurkans) you can see the first of the two buildings at The Center.

Old Google Street view as entered into The Center

Vintage Downtown Cary looking at the former Mitchell’s Pharmacy (now Pharmacy) and the old water tower. How cool if we still had that water tower in DT Cary.

Vintage Downtown Cary looking from The Center across the railroad tracks where current Town Hall is located.

Plans for the improved sidewalks along the frontage of The Center and improvements in front of Taipei and Hanks to create more space for people.

This parking area in front of Taipei will be improved with a small plaza area

New sidewalk created and patio created just beyond the trees.

Current improvement on the corner of The Center where Hanks will open.

On the Cedar Street end of The Center will be Di Fara’s Pizza. I think we have all been anxiously awaiting their opening and stay tuned to Di Fara Pizza FB page for details. They’ve announced they are staring to hired so hopefully opening soon!

In the space opposite Taipei 101 and facing Chatham Street will be the new restaurant/bar concept, Hank’s Downtown Dive. Affectionately referred to as “Hank’s” this is another venture from the ownership team who brought us Sidebar. Stay tuned to Hank’s FB and Insta for details on their progress.

Stay tuned for more updates and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Ted Boyd, at ted.boyd@townofcary.org.

Tags: Cary, CaryNC, Chatham Street, Development, Downtown Cary