Overview

The Planning and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources departments are evaluating whether the Town should create a civic and cultural arts district in downtown Cary. Planning is expected to begin in August 2005 and take about six months. See a map of the study area.

Purposes of a civic and cultural arts district include:

• Providing needed community facilities
• Strategically programming use of Town of Cary properties
• Sparking additional redevelopment downtown
• Creating a vibrant town center

Town Center Civic & Cultural Arts Study Plan
Town Center Civic & Cultural Art Plan Map
New Center for the Arts Area Map
Cary Cultural District Business Plan - PDF (1 MB) or HTML (2 MB)
Needs Assessment - PDF (2.3 MB) or HTML

Schedule

The planning process began in August 2005 and is expected to be completed within six months. Read more about the scope of the study.

Second Public Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005
7:30 p.m. at Herbert C. Young Community Center
Meeting Presentation - PDF (2.4 MB) or HTML
Meeting Comments - PDF or HTML

Council Work Session
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005
4:30 p.m. at Town Hall Campus, Building C, Conference Room

Initial Public Meeting
Monday, Sept. 19
7:30 p.m. at Old Cary Elementary
Meeting Presentation - PDF (3.3 MB) or HTML
Meeting Comments - PDF or HTML

Town contracts with Pfeiffer Partners to conduct study

Background

The Town Center Area Plan provides a blueprint for the greater downtown and envisioned downtown as the cultural center of Cary. A new town center park was among the major recommendations. In 2002, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department completed a conceptual plan for the park and obtained Town Council approval to begin acquiring land.

Among the historic properties downtown are the Cary Elementary building, which housed the state’s first public high school, and the Waldo Rood House, which is across Waldo Street from First United Methodist Church. In 2003, the Town purchased the old Cary Elementary building from the Wake County Public School System. The Town wants to preserve the Waldo Rood House, which needs to be moved.

In late 2003, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources completed its system-wide analysis of cultural arts needs in the community. This master plan presented two options for a major cultural arts center. One option called for renovating the Cary Elementary building in conjunction with a new facility. The other option was to build one larger facility to accommodate all potential needs outlined in the master plan. Since that time other potential uses for Cary Elementary have surfaced.

The Town also completed an aquatic center feasibility study in December 2000 and updated it in April 2004. There has been discussion about the potential for anchoring one end of the town center with such a facility.

A more comprehensive analysis will tie these planning efforts together and further evaluate, define, and prioritize implementation. In addition to specific facility details, the study will include analysis of all publicly owned lands downtown to determine the best use.

Additional Links

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan
Public Art Master Plan
Downtown Cary Streetscape Plan

Contact

Mary G. Henderson, Director
Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources
P.O. Box 8005
111 James Jackson Ave.
Cary, NC 27512-8005
(919) 469-4066
mary.henderson@townofcary.org

Town Homepage