This is neither a mall nor RTP but it is downtown Cary so I can’t find a better place to post it.
Here are some renderings of a new development replacing the 1980s-era 1-story part of Ashworth Village. It will also connect the remaining two-story part of Ashworth Village to the new Meridian development that is currently underway, by effectively extending Waldo Street through to South Harrison Avenue.
Great idea, fantastic site plan. Keeps every historic building and even the nicer two-story Ashworth Village building. But IMO the building itself that they are planning is very ugly. They should just do some Disney World pastiche rather than this awkward moderm blockiness.
Very interesting. As someone who is here once or twice a week, I like the new additions and maximizing the current space for the future. I also understand some people hate this or, like you, have legitimate qualms with the architecture and aesthetics. But overall I think this is positive. I hadn’t seen any renderings, so thank you very much for sharing here!
I really sort of wish that all four of the retail spaces had a completely different faux historic facade, designed so that each one look like a separate building.
Yes that would not be “honest.” Very anti-modern and definitely pastiche. But a big dark gray block of a building with the approximate proportions of a CMU, sitting right in the middle of the historic West Chatham storefronts just doesn’t quite “do it” for me.
That is one ugly building even by Cary standards. That should be all red brick with a hidden sign with more pedestrian friendly aesthetics. This does not give Cary vibes at all. Veto. Next. It could only be worse if it were…wait for it…
I like to think - what should a firm like say Raleigh Architecture or In Situ do with a Cary downtown building commission in 2024? With that theory, this kinda tracks…Modern haters see evolution of style in proximity as stark while others might see beauty in simplicity of differentiation. I personally find this ‘blends’ about as well as something trying not to harken to another time with some bygone pastiche. One might argue that history is left to shine adjacent to buildings built of this time.
It looks, in material, color, and proportion, more than vaguely like a CMU, the cheapest of the cheap construction materials. Since I noticed that, I can’t unsee it.
The Rogers Building up the street is an example of a recently built building that is a good model to follow.
I mean, I like modern architecture, especially the super stripped down Mies-ian stuff. This project just doesn’t look great to me. But it fills a good urbanism purpose so I’m fine with it.
Cary tries something different and DTR folks are up in arms about how it doesn’t meet Cary’s vanilla design standards. Not everything needs to be picture perfect disneyscape. That belongs in Pittsboro.
I really said that with some sarcasm. But at the risk of being different, sometimes you get ugly. That is really just personal preference. I think Cary has too much brick and things are too hard to find because of the sign ordinance that was put in place before I was born. But I digress. I do believe if you are going to make changes go for something enduring that isn’t just a fad of the moment. That is just my two cents. Especially if you are Cary and have a rep to live up to.
The problem with that is that TTC is broken up into several separate properties. Most of the expansive parking lots around the mall are part of other properties (the anchor stores) than the one that just sold.
Interesting. Well based off the layout of that, it appears that there will be very little that will be done which is quite unfortunate. I take it that’s where Sak’s and Macy’s will definitely stay since they own those properties.
It looks like SouthPoint owns the majority of the mall except for a few of the anchor stores. The parking lots are owned by the mall which gives SouthPoint a better opportunity for development.
Crabtree as well appears to own the most of its area as well. The problem with Crabtree is that unless they are looking to tear down their parking garages, there isn’t much that can be developed there. I expect that tearing down a parking garage may be an expensive thing to do.
I’m not sure what is going on, but the parking deck between the mall and Glenwood has had a lot of scaffolding up for well over a year now with no obvious work going on. I am not an engineer, but something tells me this may be a band-aid for a bigger problem. So maybe it will need to come down at some point in the not-distant future.
I cannot recall ever parking on that side of Crabtree, tho the south side is a mess itself. How nice it would be to have trees and geen space along Glenwood, and the mall interact with the creek on the otherside. No idea how, but I am a dreamer.
