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roscomac, Thanks, I gave you a rep. I have seen the entrance to the parking garage, but have never used it and had forgotten about it. So back I go to Lafayette Village. Wait, am I right in assuming the garage usually has available parking spaces?
I am just all around excited about this as it can only be the beginning of many more options for us in the West Cary area. Whole Foods is a solid anchor.
I am just all around excited about this as it can only be the beginning of many more options for us in the West Cary area. Whole Foods is a solid anchor.
Maybe the Alston Town side will end up being the more upscale center in that area.
I sure hope so. Very unimpressed by Parkside... It looks nothing like the original concept.
It's not even completed yet so what's your comparison? I too am unimpressed by mounds of dirt but don't expect it to be a Southpoint. Given there's nothing on this end of the world I'm pretty happy to have civilization in the wilderness.
It's not even completed yet so what's your comparison? I too am unimpressed by mounds of dirt but don't expect it to be a Southpoint. Given there's nothing on this end of the world I'm pretty happy to have civilization in the wilderness.
My comparison is to the vision that I believe the developer originally shared regarding the site. Yes, I understand that building is not complete, but what they are building is nothing like what was originally proposed. Now I could be having false memories... I am a bit older these days. I seem to remember the original site plan being something like North Hills, or Grace Park... Where the retail and living areas shared common space. More integrated with plenty of walking areas and a town square type feel. More local and smaller specialty shops mixed with the standard big box anchors.
What we ultimately appear to be getting is the same old strip plaza with housing pushed into the far corner as an almost afterthought. We are getting the same old stores... How many Targets are within 15 miles? Apex, Southpoint, Morrisville... Harris Teeter? What is it now, 5? 8? How many do we need? Isn't the HT at Cary Park like 2 miles away? Now I will give you that we are getting some new things and I am pleased to see it. Field and Stream (while its not a place I would choose to shop) is a new and welcome addition. But, the rest is the same old plaza with the same old stores, in the same old layout. That is why I am disappointed. Its basically the same strip mall that was built in Morrisville with a few plug-in retail and dining changes. What its not, is the upscale, walkable, living and shopping town square type concept that was originally proposed. An example I can think of off the top of my head is Birkdale Village outside Charlotte in Huntersville, NC (http://www.birkdalevillage.net/).
I am happy to have some dining and retail in the area that doesn't require a 30 minute drive to get to, but I think there was a missed opportunity here... I am not a marketing expert and assume they know what they are doing, but I figured the area community (and RTP) would not be the key demographic for Toby Keith's Bar and Grill, Field and Stream, etc. But I guess that is why I am not consulted for new shopping and living centers.
Actually, you might be confusing Park West Village with Parkside Town Commons. I know that Park West was going to be pretty much exactly as you described, but between the NIMBY freakout and then the recession that soon followed it got scaled way back. Parkside may have been similar, but I don't remember seeing any renderings like with Park west.
No, fxmulder is right. When we first moved here in early 2007, we actually met with the developers and they shared their initial vision with us. Walkable, huge water feature, everything just as fxmulder described. They had plans and renderings too. Focus was supposed to be on higher end and local shops and restaurants - they thought the grocery store might be a Whole Foods or a Fresh Market or something.
Things started going downhill when part of the design got rejected by Town of Cary, and in order to meet those requirements, they had to redo the layout (sorry, I don't remember those details, and of course that was just their side of the story).
Then, the real estate market went down the tubes, and when the project finally resurfaced, it was Target, Harris Teeter, and chains. I'm glad it's finally being built, but we were disappointed that that original vision was lost. It's easy to tell now that it won't look anything like the original plan because the site plan is readily available online.
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I seem to remember the original site plan being something like North Hills, or Grace Park... Where the retail and living areas shared common space. More integrated with plenty of walking areas and a town square type feel. More local and smaller specialty shops mixed with the standard big box anchors. 
