The Cary Report

Good people of Cary,

We are heading into October, and there is quite a bit to get into this week.

The biggest update is on the two controversial Kildaire Farm Road properties purchased under former Town Manager Sean Stegall. After weeks of discussion over whether Cary should sell the land, Town Council is now heading in the opposite direction and wants it permanently preserved as natural open space.

We also have some restaurant news just across the Cary line at Park West Village, the long-awaited traffic light at Bond Park is finally live, and a development filing points to a possible Raising Cane’s at the former a’Verde property.

Plus, Vino & Tap is sponsoring this week’s report with a look at its new wine club, and for our Weekly Destination, we’re stopping by a locally owned French bakery that recently opened on NE Maynard Road.

More on all of this below.

You will also notice a fresh look this week. I put together a new template meant to mimic the feel of a newspaper, which seemed fitting for this thing. Reply and tell me if you like it or not. I read every reply.

Thank you for continuing to support local, – James

Quick Updates & Things to Know

• Ruckus Pizza, Pasta & Spirits closed its Park West Village location in Morrisville on Sunday after nearly 17 years. Abbey Road Tavern & Grill has acquired the lease and plans to move into the space, which would become its third Triangle location. An opening date has not yet been announced.
• High House Road traffic signal: the new signal at High House Road and Bond Park Drive is officially operational. The project also includes high-visibility crosswalks and other pedestrian and traffic-safety improvements around the intersection. You can read more about the project here.
• Raising Cane’s eyes Walnut Street: a development plan has been filed for a Raising Cane’s restaurant at 2300 Walnut Street, the former home of a’Verde Cocina + Tequila Library near Crossroads Plaza. It is still very early, however. A Raising Cane’s representative told The Cary Report that “as of now, we cannot confirm any details for a potential location here at this time.”

Cary’s Keeping the Woods

After weeks of debate over what to do with the roughly $1.07 million worth of property at 600 and 604 Kildaire Farm Road, Town Council has directed staff to come back with options for permanently preserving the land as natural open space.

The wooded properties sit between Cary Elementary School and Shirley Drive, immediately beside Higgins Greenway just south of downtown.

If those addresses sound familiar, there is a reason.

The properties were purchased in 2024 under former Town Manager Sean Stegall and became one of the issues examined in the state audit released this summer.

For a while, it looked like Cary might sell the land. Mayor Harold Weinbrecht proposed exploring a sale, arguing that doing so could return the money to the Town and address concerns surrounding how the properties were originally purchased.

However, neighbors pushed back.

Casey Midkiff, who lives beside the property, spoke at the Aug. 27 Town Council meeting and started a petition the following day asking Cary to preserve the land. That petition has now collected more than 1,400 signatures. You can see the petition here.

“This little patch of forest contains so much of what Cary values most — nature, life, and history. Preserving it honors who we are as a community,” Midkiff told The Cary Report.

The properties also sit within an important piece of Cary’s African American history.

Cary First Christian Church was founded by Cary’s African American community in 1868. The congregation moved its services to the area near present-day Cary Elementary in 1883, and a church building later stood on land beside the Town-owned parcels. Remnants of its foundation remain nearby.

There was also a school.

The Cary Colored School operated in this area beginning in the 1890s, serving African American children until the building burned in 1935. The Friends of the Page-Walker believe the school may have stood on one of the properties Cary now owns, although Town staff has said the exact location has not yet been confirmed.

Preserving the land means that research can continue without the immediate possibility of the property being sold and redeveloped.

At the Sept. 22 work session, Town Council spent more than an hour discussing the properties before reaching a consensus. Staff was directed to return with options for permanently preserving the properties as natural open space.

Exactly how Cary will accomplish that has not been decided yet. One possibility discussed was a deed restriction, but staff will now research the available options and bring them back to council. We’ll keep you posted with what ends up being decided.

Vino & Tap’s New Wine Club, Explained

This section is sponsored by Vino & Tap.

Vino & Tap has been pouring at Pasmore House on Academy Street for a few months now. A lot of you followed along as it opened, and they just launched something new: a wine club called the Collector’s Club.

Here’s how it works.

Membership is $129 every three months. Each quarter, the V&T team picks three bottles for you to take home: one red, one white and one sparkling.

The perks go beyond the wine, too. Members get 20% off every bottle you buy to take home, including wines featured at tastings; 50% off wine tasting tickets; unlimited access to The Members Lounge during business hours whenever there’s an open seat; 50% off private event space rentals; first dibs on tickets for tastings and limited-capacity events; club-only events featuring guest winemakers, importers and some rare pours; and member pricing for a plus-one at club events and tastings when space allows.

Now the catch, although this is the good kind.

The first 100 people who join are Vino & Tap’s “Founding 100” and lock in that $129 quarterly price for life. Vino & Tap says the price will eventually increase for new members, and once the 100th spot is taken, the lifetime price lock is gone.

Founding members also receive official Founding Member status and permanent recognition at V&T.

If you’re a wine lover, this is a way to get some deals on bottles while also getting more plugged into the downtown scene. A lot of wine clubs are basically a box that shows up at your doorstep every few months. This one comes with perks you can actually use in person and a regular spot in downtown Cary to use them.

Join the Collector’s Club here.

Vino & Tap is located at 307 S. Academy Street in downtown Cary.

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at james@thecaryreport.com and let’s find something that works for you.

Dandiya & Garba: Craft + Dance Workshop — Celebrate Navratri with a hands-on workshop. Decorate your own pair of dandiya sticks, then learn beginner-friendly Raas and Garba dance moves. No dance experience required, but registration is required. Wed, September 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Downtown Cary Park, Academy Pavilion (327 S. Academy Street). More info

Triangle Oktoberfest — The 12th annual Triangle Oktoberfest returns with German and seasonal beers, Bavarian food, live brass music, stein-hoisting competitions, a KinderPlatz and wiener dog races. Hosted for charity by the Apex Sunrise and Cary MacGregor Rotary Clubs. Fri, October 2, 5–10 p.m. and Sat, October 3, Noon–8 p.m. at Koka Booth Amphitheatre (8003 Regency Parkway). More info

Jazz’d Up Sundays: Tia Fuller — Downtown Cary Park’s free jazz series continues with Grammy-nominated saxophonist Tia Fuller, a professor at Berklee College of Music who spent years performing as a member of Beyoncé’s touring band. Bring a chair or blanket. Sun, October 4, 6:30–8 p.m. at the Great Lawn Pavilion (327 S. Academy Street). More info

La Pause Parisienne

This week’s destination might be located in a shopping center, but it does a surprisingly good job of making you forget that for a little while.

La Pause Parisienne recently opened at 160 NE Maynard Road, Suite 114, in the former Aroma location. It is a locally owned French bakery and café serving freshly baked croissants, breads, pastries, coffee and other café items.

The bakery was founded by French entrepreneurs with training from culinary and baking schools in France. Its rotating sets of pastries are made on site using traditional French techniques.

And people seem to have noticed pretty quickly. The items regularly sell out, so if you want the full selection, showing up earlier in the day pays off.

The owners are also regularly there. They were incredibly friendly when I stopped in, and the café itself has plenty of space to hang around rather than just grabbing a pastry and immediately heading back out the door, including a sizable outdoor patio.

So grab a croissant, a coffee and take a Parisian pause without having to leave Cary.

La Pause Parisienne
160 NE Maynard Road, Suite 114
Cary, NC 27513

More info