Didn’t realize the Midtown Exchange project had been renamed ‘The Exchange’ but this article claims infrastructure work is done and should be going vertical in June.
Does anybody know the specific parameters of the zoning restrictions? Does the 40-story limit include parking decks above ground?
Saw this interesting tidbit of Fenton grocery-related news on the Cary mayor’s website. Looks like the Cary town council just approved some changes to the Fenton PDP to allow for a smaller grocery store ![]()
- A motion to approve the Fenton’s request to change Pod 2A to have a smaller grocery store, extend main street, have flexible signage, and make revisions to the PDP: Passed 5 – 2
- A motion to allow the Fenton a waiver to come back with a proposal to add a green roof and more height to Pod 2A: Passed 7 – 0
This language makes me wonder if they mean green as in foliage or the color, namely Pantone 363C perhaps?
Illustration is on slide 5. (Compare to adopted map here.)
This is good; the smaller footprint grocery stays on the road side, while the remaining area is an urban plaza terminating the south end of the main street framed by a new 4-14 story mixed-use building. (One low retail building and one 4-12 story mixed use building was already planned there.) There’s a potential new parking garage, but it’s tucked into the woods behind the grocery. Grocery is shown with a pharmacy area (drive-through?), which does seem to rule out, say, Whole Foods but rules in Publix.
Not sure why the last slide mentions housing atop the grocery anchor?
Alllllllsooooooo…
See page 36 of this slide deck
https://carync.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Communication.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=5401&MediaPosition=&ID=2018&CssClass=
Looks like a rendering of the South Hills Mall arena.
Interesting development on the South Hills site for sure. Also I must have missed the part where they were planning on relocating Pure Gold 
Makes sense if they’re planning on making a big, multi-modal transit hub in the heart of downtown Cary they don’t want a strip club to be in the heart of it all.
That looks like a convention center.
Seeing as it’s not a beige box I’d think Town of Cary is going to dropkick those plans immediately
So, it appears I haven’t leaked anything, because the Town posted this last week (see 1:03)
And it doesn’t look that different from what was proposed earlier, which is a glass box (design architect is Populous, the standard in stadium architecture)

I half wonder if the transit hub site was chosen in part because it would force Pure Gold out. (Pure Gold has chosen a site near the Airport Blvd exit.)
That’s a good point. That area has seen so much development with the downtown park, restaurants, breweries, townhouses, etc. that you think something like a older strip would seem out of place with all that gentrification.
Get rid of the strip club and there goes the neighborhood, as they say. So much for the former-frat-boy-guys-night-out-now-ima-middle-age-dad hang out in Cary!
I am almost certain that this was a factor, though never spoken aloud or written down, because this sort of thing is likely illegal.
I’ll be glad to see them gone. It wasn’t really much of an actual nuisance in downtown Cary in terms of crime or noise, but it definitely was an image problem.
Anyway, the spot they’ve chosen is smack in the middle of the noisiest part of the RDU flight path, where the closest residence is over a mile away and separated by an interstate highway - there will be literally nobody around that they will bother. Also, given the preponderance of inexpensive hotels there that lean towards business travelers and construction crews, plus the easy access to I-40 - I have to imagine they will do well.
Wow, that looks awesome. Everyone should watch the short video. The interior reminds me of RDU in a good way. It would be amazing if they built something this cool.
The location is obviously very car oriented, but does have good road accessibility.
Walked by Cary Towne Center (or what’s left of it) In the image below, the old Belk store and its adjacent mall entrance (facing Walnut St) are on the left
They’re separating the debris to try to better recycle the materials. Good on them for that effort
This is excellent!
I’m getting strong J.B. Hunt library from Centennial campus vibes too
I was able to walk over to Fenton this morning, and phase 1 looks amazing! There was still a good deal of work being done and construction walls up, but here are some of the hightlights
Streetside greenway along Cary Towne Blvd (thought ~5 ft segment is under construction by Adams Elementary)
Dedicated Bike Lanes on Trinity Road
Look! Not just boring beige boxes 
A few pedestrian arcades/paseos with mosiacs
String lights spanning across the main road
Event/green space, which could be fun for ice skating in the winter!
Great pics, thanks for sharing! I was wondering how things had been coming along since they readjusted their opening date. I’m personally very excited since it’s a bunch of nice places to eat and drink and watch movies pretty close to my house.
They should have built this on the parking lots around PNC arena.
For real though, looks great
That would be even closer to me! I agree!
















