Fenton project in North Carolina’s Research Triangle opens this week

Two years ago, ground was broken on the first phase of Fenton in Cary, N.C. Two days from now, thousands of locals who’ve buzzed about the project will be there to ride hot air balloons and dance to live music at the project’s grand opening.

“Fenton is a project unlike any other in the Raleigh-Durham area. Everyone around there knew about it and compared it to other modern open-air developments, but they didn’t know what they didn’t know, and now they soon will,” Fenton’s leasing chief, Dotan Zuckerman, told Chain Store Age on the floor of last week’s ICSC Las Vegas show.

What’s opening this Thursday is Fenton’s Phase 1, covering 35 acres with 357 apartments, 200,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 345,000 sq. ft. of retail space that will be filled by the likes of Nike, Williams Sonoma, Club Pilates, Pottery Barn, Lululemon, Arhaus, and Paragon Theaters.

When finished, Fenton will encompass 92 acres that will more than double the office and residential space and top retail out at 450,000 sq. ft.

Fenton’s Restaurants, however, are what Zuckerman thinks will draw steady flows of traffic from the entire region. “The group of locally based, chef-driven restaurants that we’ve established there is unlike that of any other modern mixed-use development,” he said.

Mike Lee, owner-operator of M Sushi restaurant in downtown Durham--named one of the nation’s Top 100 restaurants by OpenTable--turned down several appeals from Zuckerman and his staff to get on board at Fenton. Then he learned that Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, another nationally renowned eatery in Raleigh, had signed on there. Lee Spoke with chef Scott Crawford, and changed his mind.

Other restaurants will include chef Ford Fry’s elevated Tex-Mex eatery Superica and Charleston restaurateur Steve Palmer’s Northern Italian standout Colletta.  Dram & Draught will ply visitors with more than 400 whiskeys, draft beer, and wine.

Fenton, which is a co-development of Hines, Columbia Development, and USAA Real Estate has made a concerted effort to keep both the food and beverage offerings and project designs connected to North Carolinian roots.

“Our look, using lots of brick, steel, and glass, is focused on the tobacco industry that grew this area before technology arrived,” Zuckerman said.