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(See you back here in January as we kickoff our 10th anniversary!)
Year: 2019
Briar Chapel Hits the News
Real estate news hit the Triangle — and all about Briar Chapel, an amazing Clairemont client. Briar Chapel, one of the largest and best-selling master-planned communities in the Triangle, recently unveiled the newest addition to its growing, vibrant community. Blue Heron Asset Management will be launching gorgeous, high-end apartments at Briar Chapel, complete with an amenity center and Pinterest-worthy interiors. In fact, this will be one of the first major apartment complexes of this type on 15-501!
Aided by our pitch efforts, the Triangle Business Journal shared the full scoop below!
Raleigh developer plots apartments for Briar Chapel
A Raleigh real estate investment development firm has plans for an apartment complex in one of the region’s fast-growing communities.
Blue Heron Asset Management has announced it will build a 200-unit apartment community in Briar Chapel, a 900-acre master planned development south of Chapel Hill and led by Newland.
The apartments will be spread across three buildings, each four or five stories. The complex will have a centralized amenities building.
“Blue Heron is thrilled to be building at Briar Chapel, where we’ll be bringing the best-in-class finishes and amenities common in urban apartment projects to a more laid-back, gracious and community-centered setting,” says Kevin Wade, project manager for Blue Heron. “Residents will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the Piedmont while maintaining a close proximity to the jobs and attractions in Chapel Hill, Durham, RTP and other hubs of activity in the Triangle.”
Apartments will range in size from 625 to 1,600 square feet — the company has yet to determine rental rates. Groundbreaking is slated for nearly next year, though the specifics of the timeline are still being worked out, as is the total cost of the project.
Apartments will include features often found in single-family homes, such as built-in bookshelves, separate dining areas and kitchen bars, according to a release. Amenities at the apartments will include a main club building, fitness area, demonstration kitchen, library, a community pool and outdoor space.
Coffee bars, lounges, and pop-up workstations will be included in the lobbies of all three apartment buildings.
JLL commercial real estate brokered the project.
Wade says as the popularity of mixed-use master-planned communities grows in the Triangle, so has interest from developers such as Blue Heron.
“It kind of proves out the attraction for tenants. People want to live in these communities and that’s attractive for us,” he says. “From a feasibility standpoint, Newland has laid an enormous amount of groundwork.”
Putting the project in Briar Chapel meant Blue Heron not only had the entitlements it needed to build the project, but the necessary infrastructure had already been put in place by Newland.
“Few other apartment complexes in Chatham County have the benefit of a site with existing entitlements and infrastructure,” says Mike Scisciani, vice president of operations for Newland. “Briar Chapel offers both, which enables Blue Heron to create a large, urban multi-family complex not normally found in this area.”
Briar Chapel is currently entitled for up to 2,500 homes, with 1,900 already built, along with a senior apartment complex and assisted living/skilled nursing facility by Liberty Healthcare Management.
The development also features 500,000 square feet of commercial space, which includes a Central Carolina Community college campus and Veranda, Briar Chapel’s current commercial area. That area opened three years ago and features 42,500 square feet of dining and retail space, as well as health care, legal offices and educational institutions.
Scisciani says another 400 residential lots are in the works, and Newland expects construction to continue for several more years.
Have some big news around the corner? We can help!
Zing! First Zambrero Comes to Raleigh
We’re excited to announce one of our newest clients — and we feel like we need a sombrero and a kangaroo all at once to talk about them!
Zambrero, Australia’s largest Mexican franchise, is debuting its second location in America and first in the Southeast at One Glenwood in Raleigh, North Carolina.
What’s so cool about Zambrero (besides just about everything)?
Its “good for you” menu! (with “IQ Salsa”)
Zambrero backs its “good for you” menu with a critical differentiator: the restaurant doesn’t use fryers or grills. Instead, Zambrero cooks its meat using the sous-vide method, the process of vacuum-sealing meats with marinade and spices, submerging in hot water and cooking for up to 18 hours. Sous-vide produces tender, juicy and flavorful meats without the added carcinogens or fats of standard cooking methods.
Zambrero features fresh ingredients, superfood options and customizable dishes, such as burritos, bowls, tacos, nachos, dos capas and quesadillas. The menu includes proprietary sauces, hand-made guacamole and its famous Pepita Salsa — known as “the IQ Salsa” in Australia due to its protein-packed recipe. Guests can also enjoy a range of beers, Cayman Jack Margaritas, Honest Honey Green Tea, Vitamin Water, Bai and other non-alcoholic beverages.
Its Mission to Fight World Hunger.
A mission-driven concept, Zambrero offers a healthy superfood menu along with its Plate 4 Plate initiative in partnership with Rise Against Hunger. With each burrito, bowl or bottle of water purchased, Zambrero donates a meal to someone in need.
For several years, Zambrero has partnered with Rise Against Hunger to provide more than 34 million meals to countries in need with the goal to donate 1 billion meals by 2025. Founded in Canberra, Australia, Zambrero has quickly burgeoned to approximately 200 locations across Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and now the United States.
So What’s the Date?
Zambrero plans to open its doors in January 2020 at its location at 1 Glenwood Avenue, #105, Raleigh, NC 27603. This will be the first of 60-75 locations that Phoenix Restaurants, LLC plans to develop throughout the Carolinas, including locations in University Hill in Durham and Parkside Town Commons in Cary planned to open in spring or summer 2020.
We love a good grand opening for everything from wine bars to master-planned real estate communities! Check ’em out!
Photos courtesy of Zambrero
When You Wish Upon a (Holiday) List
These days there seems to be a wish list for everything. Nearly every online retailer I frequent (Amazon, Madewell, Nordstrom) has an easily clickable button for me to oh-so-conveniently add an item to my “wish list” instead of simply bypassing it altogether.
I shake my head as I admit it, but my wish list lists are embarrassingly long at each of the stores in my online shopping mall. And for what? To hold my “maybe” items in a safe place?
It wasn’t long ago when the term “wish list” meant one thing and one thing only to me: Christmas. Once upon a time, I got one chance once a year to create this SUPER IMPORTANT list and I didn’t have the luxury of messing it up with some “maybes.” I waited all year for the thick Sears catalog to hit my doorstep from which I would pick my dream toys.
While Sears reintroduced its once-famed catalog a few years ago, it barely caught on in today’s market dominated by millennials. The nostalgia was nice but the big-box department store seemed just too outdated to bounce back via that holiday book even with its effort to make it digital.
This year I was thrilled to see Amazon’s Ultimate Wish List hit my mailbox, mostly because I couldn’t wait to show it to my kids. Complete with a removable numbered list that encourages you to write down your wants, stickers to tag your favorite gifts and other little tips and surprises throughout, this wish book, created by everyone’s favorite retailer, somehow made looking at a catalog full of toys that you don’t actually have, fun. The perk for mom and dad? There’s a “How to shop” page right up front detailing how you can easily “Add to Cart,” “Scan & Shop” by using codes and/or purchase by asking Alexa.
It’s a brilliant thing, really, what Amazon did. They took an old concept and made it exciting again in a way that only an innovative, forward-thinking company can do: by making it better. This obviously had us thinking about how we can apply this same concept to our work. Whether it be a grand opening, anniversary party or unveiling a new idea, below are three ways you can make sure you get the most out of it.
- Make it relevant – Will your concept satisfy a need in today’s world? Perhaps you’re offering a digital spin on an old idea. Or maybe you just want to hark back to the good ole days where every party didn’t require a hashtag, and offer a “digital detox” event. Either way, make sure it addresses a need or concern prominent in today’s times.
- Make it simple – We never get tired of applying the KISS acronym. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here, just make it faster/prettier/bigger. Keep in mind that good ideas never really go bad, they just need to be tweaked with simple, updated details.
- Make it fun – At the end of the day, girls (and guys) just want to have fun. Offering an interactive activity or anything that allows people to put their own spin on the situation offers people an opportunity for creativity and memorable moments.
Check out other ways we up the wow-factor for our clients.
In The News: WakeMed Expands to Wendell
Extra! Extra! Clairemont client Wendell Falls — one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle — is brimming with news and real estate growth! In addition to breaking ground on a new charter school, the community unveiled its newest commercial partner — WakeMed Healthcare & Hospitals. So once again, we at Clairemont had the privilege of sharing its story of exciting growth far and wide.
In the below article from the Triangle Business Journal, read all about WakeMed’s addition that will continue to transform East Wake County into a destination hub.
Triangle health system plans expansion into ‘vibrant’ community
A Wake County health care provider plans to expand east of Raleigh following its purchase of 11 acres in the ongoing Wendell Falls development.
WakeMed has announced its plans to build medical offices and health services facilities “with potential for future expansion” in Wendell. The organization acquired the land this month, paying $3.67 million for the 11 acres off Wendell Valley Boulevard.
Wendell Falls is a master-planned community led by San Diego, California-based real estate company Newland Communities. The WakeMed property is situated in the phase of development known as The Collective – which will feature a mix of creative and professional office space, retail and hospitality.
“As a vibrant, growing community, Wendell Falls offers a wonderful opportunity to expand WakeMed’s footprint,” said Debra Laughery, vice president of marketing and communications for WakeMed Health & Hospitals. “We look forward to bringing exceptional care and services to the residents and families of Wendell Falls and the surrounding area.”
Altogether, plans for Wendell Falls call for thousands of homes and millions of square feet of commercials space across thousands of acres in the eastern Wake County town.
“Since opening in 2015, more than 750 families have moved into Wendell Falls, a growth rate that is increasing every month,” said Dan Klausner, vice president of commercial real estate for Newland. “With 3,500 planned homes in Wendell Falls, quality health care will be a critical cornerstone, and we’re excited to partner with WakeMed to offer these services to our community.”
Wendell Falls is owned in a joint venture between Newland and North America Sekisui House, LLC (NASH), the U.S. business unit and a subsidiary of Sekisui House, LTD., Japan’s largest homebuilder.
The community is designed to be a walkable live-work-play area for residents and a retail and entertainment destination for those living in and around the community.
The Wendell Falls development has seen multiple announcements in recent months.
In August, Cardinal Charter Academy of Cary announced a new location in the development. The school is expected to open by August 2020.
Cardinal will serve kindergarten through eighth grade, and developers hope it will be another incentive for residents to settle in the community east of Knightdale. Dan Klausner, director of development for Wendell Falls, previously said bringing high-quality education into the site was a necessity.
In September, Farmhouse Café opened its Wendell Falls community location to the public. The brainchild of Daniel Whittaker and Patrick Cowden, the co-owners of downtown Raleigh’s Pharmacy Café, began serving mixed dishes, salads and sandwiches in mid-September.
For WakeMed, the expansion into Wendell comes as the region’s health systems continue to compete for access to the Triangle’s growing population.
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