Story and photo by Lindsey Chester.

Cary, NC – With the discussion swirling around the marquee for the new theater, the Town held their second public information meeting about Downtown development to another packed house on January 31 in Council Chambers at Town Hall. It’s a grand plan, and here’s how it stands right now.

On hand to present and answer questions were Eric Simpson, the project manager, Keith Giamportone, lead architect from Quinn Evans Architects, Ed Gawf, Downtown Manager and Lyman Collins, Cultural Arts Manager.

Resident’s Concerns

A quick recap of the earlier meeting (story) revealed concerns expressed by the public. They were:

• Just glad something is happening
• Respect the History
• Folks want a balcony
• Want to know what’s happening Downtown
• Need for restaurants and shopping

The town planners have taken these concerns into consideration as they plan the theater and other Downtown improvements.

Ed noted the plans for the “The Cary” as the theater is being called, are about 35% done and that now is the time to be heard, as changes can still be made. He also emphasized that although the building is historic, this is not a restoration, but rather a modification.

Lyman Collins Cultural Arts manager, added that these additions will …”bring a 20^th century building into the 21^st century”

The Plans Thus Far

There will be 180 seats, some of which will be removable to allow for cabaret seating for some events. The theater will include two balconies, one on each side upstairs that will be accessed from the 2^nd floor of the new adjacent addition building. The floor will have an appropriate modern slope, as the old theater did not conform to modern day standards.

The building addition includes dressing areas and a green room for stage productions on the first floor and a 2 story lobby opens up the space.

The building’s second floor includes a multi-purpose open space at the top of the stairs, and entry to the balcony as well as the main seating.

The third floor has some flex leasable space and the outdoor terrace café, which will be set back from the theater and the road.

The Marquee

The current drawings show the form of the sign rather than what materials will be used. The signage also tries to reflect the building’s 1940’s pedigree. The marquee will have a curve that will be reflected in the café upstairs and other curved lines throughout the building. Lyman noted that an artist team is working with the architects to create what he described as an art object for the signage. His hopes are that the sign will “enliven the street” and “give the building a rhythm” . The vertical element of the sign was added to create more presence and to help bring this section of downtown to life. Actual lighting materials have not been decided- neon, LED or otherwise.

East Chatham Streetscape Improvements

Eric Simpson, Project manager next spoke about the “very ambitious” timetable for completing the streetscape in the East Chatham Street area of downtown. Work is to begin late Spring 2012 and continue through the end of the year. It will require this section of road to go down to one lane at times, but yes, Lazy Daze will go on as usual.

To Be Improved:

1. Sidewalk
2. Parking and circulation
3. Academy Street intersection
4. Streetscape modifications
5. Pedestrian friendly

The theater block will be the first step towards making a visual improvement that creates more typical downtown building fronts. Facade improvements are planned for the Johnson Jewelers/ former India Bazaar building next door to the theater.

Another key idea is to bring the sidewalk to the street and eliminate the slope. Eric pointed out that the current sidewalk is almost a 9-degree slope, and a hazard. The slope will be eliminated to almost 2% and the sidewalk will allow for tables and chairs for diners. This sidewalk will be upgraded to a herringbone brick pattern and the curb will be granite. There will be 2 alleyways and 2 driveways to access the parking behind these buildings and the theater. Water and sewer lines will be improved (hence the road construction and lane reductions), and gutters will be upgraded on the Johnson’s Jewelers building.

Downtown Cary’s 100% Corner

“You shouldn’t have to guess where the Heart of Cary is”, but right now, its just not obvious. Ed refers to the intersection of Chatham and Academy, as Cary’s 100% corner. It is our single most important downtown intersection, and it needs to reflect that.

How will he accomplish that? Ideas are not finalized but the Town continues to work with both Kitchen and Bath Galleries and Fidelity Bank to enhance these opposing corners. First, the parking beside Kitchen & Bath on Academy will be angled (safer), paved with brick and reduced from 8 spots to 5. In the front, the parking will be reconfigured into “Hobby Plaza” in honor of the building’s original owners. The newsboy and clock will remain. Ed is currently exploring the idea of adding a second floor to this building. By adding height, the corners would become more significant.

Fidelity Bank has indicated they are willing to rework their plaza to be more inviting (fountain with seating, anyone?)- Nothing was presented for this corner yet. And the Town will also improve the sidewalks adjacent to the bank as part of the streetscape improvements.

On the street itself, the paving in this intersection needs improvement. Remember the old seal in the center of the street? Maybe this could be brought back? Or something like it to reflect the “Heart of Downtown”?

The Time Table

• Spring 2012 Final Theater Plans to Council, start construction
• December 2012- Chatham Street improvements completed (goal)
• August 2013- Downtown theater dedicated
• Bidding for construction will go out this spring.

Ed Gawf’s mentioned that he is in talks with some developers to have private investment Downtown. He added that if in five years, the only changes Downtown were what the Town itself has built, he would consider his tenure a failure.

With so many ambitious projects already begun, I’d say he’s anything but!

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo by Susan Sermoneta.

Cary, NC – Here’s an epiphany: I can be bent to your will with just a little kindness.

Facebook for Business

Facebook Pages for Business are not for everyone. But if you have the time, bandwidth and interest, they can be a very popular and effective channel for your message.

Facebook Pages are not your profile. They are not a Group. Facebook has a special category of pages just for business.

But how to make your page popular?

The Low Road: Shilling on Someone Else’s Page

Call it comment span, link span or shilling – it’s all the same thing.

You see a page you like and you post some sales-y information on it. Maybe it’s a link to your page or some kind of a special offer.

The CaryCitizen Facebook Page gets this from time-to-time. We always delete it and even ban the user from our page for serial offenders.

But, on one level, it makes perfect sense. The average business page has fewer than 100 friends. CaryCitizen has more than 1,450. Our competitor, The Cary News has 136 friends. Where would you want to post your message?

But my page is not your billboard. It’s an ineffective, even counter-productive strategy.

The High Road: Like

Recently, a new business popped up in Cary. We actively monitor our Facebook page and noticed that this new business had “liked” quite a few of our stories in the past couple of weeks. Not everything, but noticeable activity.

Naturally, I was curious. I clicked on the link and visited the Facebook page of the business in question. It had good info – on topic, nice pictures. I “liked” it (that is, I added it to my personal collection of pages I like). I also added them to CaryCitizen’s Facebook Page under Likes.

(BTW, we now have the most awesome and complete list of Favorites for the whole Cary Metroplex on Facebook – more than 80 local pages. Surf up our page and click on Likes (left column) – you’re sure to find something interesting like Jim Goodnight’s page or the Railhawks or One-Chic-Mama or Crema Coffee and so on.)

So here’s the epiphany – this business has skillfully manipulated me to engage with them.

From here, who knows what can happen?

Like This

If you have a Facebook Page for Business, go ahead and “like” this story on our FB page (we republish all our stories on Facebook).

Good things happen when you know the etiquette and conventions of social discourse on the web.

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo by Sean Davis.

Cary, NC – Here’s a story that caught our eye: Sierra Nevada, one of America’s best-loved and fastest-growing brewers, has chosen North Carolina for the location of their first East Coast brewery. 

Something Big is Brewing in NC

Sierra Nevada started in Chico, California in 1979. Over the years, they have come to be considered the premier craft brewer in the country. But they still brew the beer in Chico, CA.

Not for long.

Sierra Nevada CEO Ken Grossman joined North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue today in announcing the new brewery in NC. “After carefully looking at more than 200 sites east of the Mississippi, Sierra Nevada is pleased to locate our second brewery in Henderson County,” said Grossman.

According to the Governor’s office, the company plans to create 95 full-time jobs. In addition, Sierra Nevada expects to hire another 80 part-time employees and expects to create about 60 construction and mechanical jobs during its 24-month building phase.  The jobs will be created in gradual phases starting in mid to late 2012 and continuing through 2013.

The State of Beer

“North Carolina is home to more craft breweries than any Southern state – 21 brewpubs and 28 production breweries – with western North Carolina being particularly strong,” according to the Governor’s office. Who knew?

“We are proud that Sierra Nevada, with its tradition of innovation, stewardship and quality, chose to tap all the great things North Carolina had to offer,” said Gov. Perdue.  “This announcement enhances a burgeoning craft beer industry in our state.   The investment, jobs and brand recognition Sierra Nevada brings will be a boon to this region and help confirm North Carolina as a destination for innovation.”

Everyone Raise a Glass

The announcement today was a good illustration that bipartisanship continues to function in North Carolina.

“Sierra Nevada knows that North Carolina is a place where the business climate will help them grow and thrive,” said Sen. Tom Apodaca, of Hendersonville. “I’m sure my sons are looking forward to buying some of the first bottles brewed here.”

“This terrific news is a perfect example of leaders at the state and local level, and from different political parties, working together to bring jobs to the people of North Carolina,” said Rep. Chuck McGrady of Hendersonville.

Apodaca and McGrady are Republicans; Perdue is a Democrat. I’ll drink to that!

Spending One to Get One Hundred

As readers of this space know, we’re not in favor of government giveaways to lure business relocations. In fact, no one really likes them (except companies that benefit from the largess, of course).

Sierra Nevada is receiving a modest $1 million grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The company plans to invest $107.5 million during the next five years in Henderson County.

The Green Economy

I don’t know if the new brewery in Mills River, NC will have solar panels, recycled water or reclaimed brick. It might. But this is not that kind of a green project.

This facet of the green economy is about saving energy and lowering the carbon footprint. According to Ken Grossman, “We felt the most responsible thing to do was to build a brewery on the other side of the country, to lessen our impact on the environment while continuing to place great craft beer into the hands of our consumers.”

Sierra Nevada has a history of support for conservation and environmentalism. Even their name, Sierra Nevada, was inspired by Grossman’s love of hiking in the wild mountains of California.

Who Wants to Make Beer?

The note from the Governor’s Office ended with this tidbit:

For more information about Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. including job opportunities, please visit SierraNevada.com.

Pale ale, anyone?

Story from staff reports. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Morrisville, NC – The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce has named its 2012 Board of Directors. It’s a prestigious group.

2012 Morrisville Chamber Board of Directors

Chair
Roy Watson
Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC

Treasurer
John McGeary
Capital Bank

Past Chair
Karen Ondrick
Lenovo

Executive Committee member and Business Advisory Council Chair
J. Drake Brinkley
Moore & Van Allen, PLLC

Executive Committee member
Michael Kearns
Jani-King of Raleigh/Durham

Executive Committee Member and Economic Development Committee Chair
Jeff Sheehan
Duke Realty Corporation

Fred Adams, Jr.
Fred Adams Paving Co.

Emily Aldrich Barbour
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina

Anthony Blackmon
Atlantic Tire Co.

Hill Carrow
Sports & Properties, Inc.

Marty Clayton
Progress Energy

Kimberly Copney
Costco

Theresa deMatas
Rex Healthcare

Dan Dzamba
Morrisville Square

Robert Mouro
Merril Lynch

Terry Poythress
Poythress Homes, Inc.

Houck Reed
Tekelec

Ed White
White Ventures LLC

Ex officio
John Whitson
Town of Morrisville

Ex officio
Carlotta Ungaro
Morrisville Chamber of Commerce

Morrisville Chamber Events

The Morrisville Chamber Calendar lists several regular monthly events including Business Tool Box, K.N.O.W. luncheons (Knowledgeable Network of Women) and Coffee & Connections.

CaryCitizen is proud to be a 2012 member of the Morrisville Chamber.

Story & photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Someone in the greater Cary metroplex is going to win a brand-new Fiat 500c convertible. It could be you.

2012 Cary Chamber Car Raffle & Auction

The sleek and sexy Fiat 500c, generously donated by Hendrick Cary Auto Mall, will be raffled off to support the Cary Chamber of Commerce.

At the gala event on March 1, 2012 at Prestonwood Country Club, the winning raffle ticket will be drawn. The event will also feature a silent auction with hundreds of items up for bid. In the past, auction items have included sports memorabilia, rounds of golf, vacations and restaurant gift certificates.

Fiat 500 Convertible – A Head-Turner

There is no doubt that the Fiat 500c is fun to drive – peppy, responsive and well-appointed.

Pop open the top and let the blue Carolina sky pour into the car.  Settle into the leather seats and wrap your hands around the leather steering wheel. Crank up some tunes on the  seven audio speakers. Roll down Academy Street and watch the heads turn.

Consumers love this car, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars on Edmunds.

How much would you love driving a brand new Fiat convertible if you won it in a raffle?

Event Details

Cary Chamber Car Raffle
Win a 2012 Convertible Fiat 500c
Buy a Raffle Ticket

Gala Event
March 1, 2012
Prestonwood Country Club
5:30 – 8:00 PM
Register

Story and photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Supermarkets seem so permanent. But to the corporations that own them, they are pins on a map. So it is with the Food Lion at the corner of Maynard and Harrison. The Delhaize Group in Brussels, Belgium announced last week that they are closing more than 100 stores in the U.S. including the aforementioned Food Lion in Cary.

A Lesson in Supermarket Economics

A quick check on Google Maps shows that Food Lion has more than 30 stores in the Triangle. Only the Harrison Ave store is slated to close. Why?

The answer may be Aldi.

Supermarkets are very local. Unless you have something really special to offer (like Fresh Market or Whole Foods), people will not drive past four or five other stores to visit your location.

The economics of supermarkets are similar to the situation of gas stations. Economists call it monopolistic competition. In the macro sense, supermarkets  fight it out with competing brands. But at the local level, each store can have something of a monopoly.

At the corner of Harrison and Maynard, there’s no monopoly. That corner sports three supermarkets. Harris Teeter is the favorite of the high end shopper. Aldi, new to the neighborhood, holds down the bargain shopper. That left Food Lion in Northwoods Market in an uncomfortable middle spot – not as cheap as Aldi (literally right across the street), not as good as Harris Teeter.

Even from Brussels, Delhaize Group could see which store had to go.

Other Options

No date yet on exactly when the store on Harrison will close its doors.

If you are a fan of Food Lion, fear not. There’s another store about a mile away at Maynard and Reedy Creek. There’s a Kroger close by at the corner of High House and another Food Lion on Cary Parkway at Old Apex Road.

Although another supermarket seems unlikely, it will be interesting to see what goes into this popular location. Something unique would be a boon to the neighborhood and the other retailers in the shopping plaza.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – This past year, we have reported on Downtown development with an eye to what the Town of Cary has purchased and developed.

In this article, we take a look at the independent businesses now open in the core area of downtown – chiefly Academy and Chatham Streets.

Unwine’d

The most recent addition to the Cary retail and dining scene is Unwine’d,  a wine bar located in the Olde Cary Commons building at the corner of Harrison and West Chatham Street.

Owner Scott Higgenbotham  opened his doors in mid December and immediately began offering Thursday night wine tastings from 5:30- 7 and offers live jazz music every Friday night. The location has 2 bar areas and a light menu served from 4- midnight, they are open Monday- Saturday. Scott promises it is a great place to have a meeting because he has free WiFi and will be adding a coffee option soon.

Soul Food Coming Soon

Another new spot soon to open is Ermer Jone’s soul food restaurant located at the former Chatham Street Cafe. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this is open by the end of January. We will post more info about this exciting development when we finally are able to catch up with the new establishment’s owner.

These most recent additions add to other businesses that we saw added to downtown in 2011. These include:

Lynn’s Treasure Chest

At Lynn’s Treasure Chest, owner Lynn Rogers sells gifts and offers classes. Lynn has recently partnered with Best Friend Pet Adoption (BFPA) to help owners adopt pets to their forever homes. Next door,  Belen Divine specializes in wedding gowns. They sell both new and used, can handle custom tailoring and just added their own line: “Carmen Belen”  . Both stores are located at 149 East Chatham formerly “Calvin’s Salon”.

Beautimous Beads

Bridgette Bordonaro opened Beautimous Beads in June after buying the former Bedazzeled store in the current location. Bridgette offers a wide array of custom beads, jewelry and gifts, classes and camps. The store is next to Ashworth’s Drug at 107 West Chatham Street.

Designed-to-Sold

Next door, Shanna Middleton relocated her real estate and staging company, Designed-To-Sold in December. Shanna offers more than a listing- she will assist sellers in staging their homes for a quick sale, and handles other interior design projects. We wrote about her outreach project  where her business renovated a home for a disabled couple in Raleigh last fall.

MMI Public Relations

Earlier last year, we reported about Patty Briguglio’s decision to move her PR company MMI to her new Downtown location at 223 East Chatham Street (story). With so many Cary clients, the location made a lot of sense. She has already become a vocal member of the downtown business circle.

Purple Polka Dot

The Purple Polka Dot (story) opened in June in the former Flower Cupboard house at 114 South Academy Street. Owner Kristin Gurganus does a great job keeping her windows cheery with colorful gift and furnishings displays.

Dorry’s Downtown

When The Food Factory left Cary for Duke University, everyone wondered what would we do about breakfast downtown? The answer was Dorry’s Downtown that opened up shortly thereafter, owned and operated by Ray Dorry. Ray is a former New Yorker but has lived in Cary for over 20 years. He knows his way around a deli sandwich!  They also have my new favorite: great egg and potato wrap sandwich that I get with a spinach tortilla. With free WiFi and open as early as 7:30 you can have an early morning meeting and be on your way. Dorry’s is located at 211 east Chatham Street.

Styles Fitness

This past April, Autumn Hibberd opened a new type of fitness studio. The business is called Styles Group Fitness and offers the intensity of a personal trainer with the lower cost of group classes. Located in the Chocolate Smiles building on West Chatham Street, members decide how many sessions they wish to attend per week and for how many months and are priced accordingly. Classes are offered Sunday- Friday and usually have 3-8 members. Classes are tailored to who attends and focus on strength and core training.

What’s Next?

These new and many other established businesses join the efforts that the Town of Cary has engaged in to create a vibrant Downtown Cary Experience. Rumors abound about a Pub, a coffee shop and other private investors.

CaryCitizen will be reporting on these developments as they occur. We hope we captured all the recent developments, but feel free to comment at the bottom of this story (online) if we missed something. Know of any other newcomers that will be opening soon? Email Lindsey Chester and she will be sure to meet the newcomers.

Story from staff reports. Photo by apbailey.

Cary, NC – In another positive economic bell weather for the area, the Governor’s Office reported today that revenue collection is $150 million above forecast for the current fiscal year.

Better Than Expected

The better than expected revenue was explained by three factors:

• Businesses did particularly well in December, with corporate and franchise collections reaching 14.5 percent above budget that month and ending on target for the first half of the year.

• Individual income tax collections finished December two-percent above budget expectations and remain above forecast for the first half of the fiscal year.

• Sales collections reflected the modest success of retailers this season, ending 3.8 percent above budget projections in December but slightly below budget for the first half of the year.

From the Governor’s email:

State economists report that the recent economic data remains upbeat. A stronger business confidence, stronger consumer spending and stronger housing starts suggest the economy gained momentum as 2011 closed. Challenges still exist, however, as consumers still face high debt levels, home prices are still falling and the financial situation in Europe remains worrisome. In addition, the most volatile revenue sources are collected during the second half of the year.

The combination of a first half with collections modestly above forecast, combined with recent upbeat economic news has improved the overall revenue outlook for the second half of the fiscal year.

Cary, NC – Here are two words you don’t hear together very much: “eco-friendly” and “hamburgers.” BurgerFi, a new restaurant concept, aims to change that perception when they open their doors in Cary during the Spring of 2012.

Natural, Local, Recycled

BurgerFi uses all natural Angus beef – naturally grown, humane certified, vegetarian fed, no antibiotics or hormones. Frozen custard is made fresh every two hours. There are craft beers, sundaes, shakes, wine by glass, fresh cut Idaho fires and onion rings.

Sound like the malt shop of your youth? That’s their aim.

But BurgerFi is an update of the burger concept. In addition to the sustainably-sourced food, there’s recycled metal chairs, plug-in parking spaces for electric cars and a special emphasis on local products.

Why BurgerFi

BurgerFi seems to be an shortening of burgerfication, as in “the burgerfication of America.”

The BurgerFi universe currently consists of three restaurants in Florida. It is the brainchild of well-known restaurateur David Manero.

Henry Harris and Burley Moss, experienced restaurant franchisees in the Carolinas, acquired the BurgerFi rights to this market. Future restaurants in Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Columbia, SC are planned. Each BurgerFi location is projected to employ about 50 people.

Where & When

No word on where in Cary BurgerFi will open, or exactly when. Sometime this spring.

But the hip, eco-friendly, easy and affordable concept is likely to prove popular in Cary.

One day, BurgerFi may have hundreds of locations across the nation. In Cary, we won’t have to wait that long to find out what the future of burgers tastes like.

Story and photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Coming on the heels of our one millionth story view, CaryCitizen kicks off 2012 with several new improvements. Most notably, we’re please to announce that Jeff Strowe is joining the organization as our first full-time Manager of Media Services.

Meet Jeff Strowe

Some of you may already know Jeff from his previous stint as a high school teacher at Green Hope and Enloe here in Wake County.

As Manager of Media Services, Jeff’s job is to serve local businesses and organizations and help them communicate in a digital world. He’s the quintessential creative technologist, easy-going and at the same time, analytical.

Jeff was born in Akron, OH but grew up in Raleigh where he graduated from Cardinal Gibbons. He earned his B.A. in English from App State and an M.Ed. in Counseling from NC State.

“I’ve known a lot of kids and parents as a teacher,” Strowe said. “Cary is a very active and involved community.”

Strowe continued, “CaryCitizen clearly fills a need for local journalism and helping businesses to communicate. I’m excited to be here.”

Also New for 2012 – Updated Design

While some organizations take a year or more to upgrade the design of their websites, we did it over the weekend.  Just one more reason we love Open Source websites.

The updated CaryCitizen website design has lots of small changes, but the biggest difference is an increase in the size of pictures we can use in CaryCitizen stories – up to 600 pixels across. The old standard was 480 px, so that’s a big difference.

The home page is organized much the same as in the old theme – we didn’t want to promote Future Shock by moving everything around. But you’ll notice more line space in the text, and a serif font, making it easier to read.

We’ve also added a second Big Box ad on the home page and killed off the footer ad. Bottom line for advertisers – more of our most popular ad zone and more exposures above the fold.

One more dramatic change – archive view now features big pictures instead of tiny thumbnails. As an example, take a look at the new archive layout for the Food category.

Stay in Touch

Let us know how you like the new design. And say hi to Jeff if you see him around town.