Transforming Downtown Into Uptown

"Most of the attention on transforming downtowns is focused on Raleigh and Durham, but two developers are betting that the vast new subdivisions in Northern Wake County make downtown Wake Forest ripe for a resurgence. "Ulimately, the downtown of Wake Forest is going to become upscale shopping for people from Wakefield and Heritage Wake Forest," said Tillett, whose company, Tillett Development, has developed land for thousands of homes in Wake County. The town has already been steadily drawing new businesses to its historic downtown. White Street, one block east of U.S. 1A, has been the center for much of the new activity. Many historic storefronts along the street have been bought and renovated for restaurants and stores."