Wake Forest Downtown Plan
Review the revised draft Downtown Plan and provide feedback. Scheduled for adoption later this year, the updated Wake Forest Downtown Plan will provide recommendations and serve as a guide for future land use and development, transportation and parking, pedestrian mobility, redevelopment opportunities, and streetscape improvements throughout Downtown Wake Forest.
Overview
The Renaissance Plan for Downtown Wake Forest was adopted in September 2017. With the update and adoption of several comprehensive plans, including the 2022 Community Plan and 2021 Northeast Community Plan, as well as development occurring in the current Renaissance Plan area, the Plan needs to be updated.
Along with the update, the name is changing from Renaissance Plan for Downtown Wake Forest to Wake Forest Downtown Plan which will allow residents and visitors a more intuitive description of the Plan focus area.
The Wake Forest Downtown Plan will be a blueprint for the future with a focus on Wake Forest’s Downtown commercial center.
Community Input
The Plan will be driven by the community input and will result in a set of policies that direct future growth and development. This Plan will help effectively guide community leaders as they make substantive and thoughtful decisions for the project study area.
Project Timeline
FAQs
Who is involved in creating the Wake Forest Downtown Plan?
The Town hired Houseal Lavigne in the Summer of 2023 to create the Wake Forest Downtown Plan. Planning staff will manage the project.
When will the Plan start and when will it be completed?
The initial phases of the Plan have begun with an anticipated completion in late Fall/Early Winter 2024.
How can I get involved in the process?
The Community Engagement section of this page describes all the opportunities available to provide your input, including public meetings. Any meeting dates and times throughout the process will be listed to the project web page as they are scheduled. Additionally, online surveys will be posted on this page and Engage Wake Forest. Finally, materials from meetings and more information detailing the Downtown Plan process can be found on this page.
Why is it important to be involved with the Wake Forest Downtown Plan process?
The Wake Forest Downtown Plan provides a great opportunity for residents and businesses to communicate their vision for Downtown Wake Forest and identify what issues are most important for the Town to address in the near term and in the future. The planning process is designed to promote community involvement and encourage citizen participation. We know that the success of this planning effort will depend on engaging our community, so community outreach is included throughout the planning process.
How is the Downtown Plan different than the UDO update?
The Downtown Plan is a policy document creating a vision and goals for Wake Forest’s Downtown commercial center focused on frameworks such as land use, redevelopment opportunities, transportation, mobility and connectivity, and streetscape and public realm. The UDO is a regulatory document pertaining to a wide range of development activity and land use decisions. The Plan will help guide decisions but is not law.