Cary mayor defends multifamily plans for Maplewood land: ‘It makes real big sense’

More housing and downtown updates are in store for Cary this year, Mayor Mark Kownick said during his recent State of the Village at the annual Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Kownick gave an overview of construction projects for housing and downtown redevelopment in the pipeline this year, with most of the presentation spent on the former Maplewood School property. The village selected Cordogan Clark as the preferred developer last month. The company’s proposal is five-story apartment blocks with about 200 units oriented by Route 14 and surrounded by three-story buildings of 50 townhomes. Many nearby residents have been outspoken in advocating for single-family homes on the property instead.

Kownick is up for reelection against challenger Randy Scott, a local business owner. Kownick has been mayor since 2013 and is running for a fourth term. Scott did not respond to requests for comment about the mayor’s address, and Scott did not fill out a Northwest Herald candidate questionnaire. Kownick’s questionnaire can be viewed here. The last day to vote in the local election is April 1.

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At his speech, Kownick said the final product will blend in with the surrounding area, which not only includes single-family homes but also the train tracks and Metra parking. Years of collecting input for village strategic plans has shown that luxury, dense apartments are “exactly what the community has been asking for” in that area, Kownick said, though some residents have taken issue with that assertion.

“When you look at this opportunity in the close approximation to our downtown, it makes sense,” he said. “It makes real big sense.”

The mayor’s speech was prior to the Village Board’s 5-1 vote March 18 approving a preliminary plan proposed by developers. Kownick stressed nothing about the project is final yet.

The village now plans to “pick apart the plan” during a 150-day developer due diligence period, followed by a redevelopment agreement to be voted on in August, rezoning applications in the fall and permitting and construction in the spring of 2026, Kownick said.

“We listen to what the community is looking for,” he said during his chamber speech. Of preliminary plans, he added: “This isn’t exactly what it’s going to look like, but this is the direction that we’re going.”

Efforts on the Maplewood Access Road Extension continue and the village will hold a public information meeting this summer, Kownick said.

Another prong to the Maplewood land is the Intergovernmental Agreement with Cary School District 26, which had planned to build a transportation center at Maplewood. The district ended up selling the property to the village for $5.5 million and has started to plan a new transportation center on Three Oaks Road next to Aldi. That plan is expected to go through the zoning process and seek village board approval in May with an estimated construction start this summer, Kownick said.

The downtown streetscape project will enter the second of three phases this summer to build a community plaza, fireplace and pavilion. Phase 3, revamping Spring Street, is due to start next year.

More residential construction is planned this year: Ridgefield Park, near Cary Village Hall, is expected to start on its 38 units, and the Haber Pointe property, located at 401 Haber Road, will be converting three duplexes into eight townhome units by the end of this year.

Cary Horizon Senior Living by the Alden Foundation, located at 30 S. Cary-Algonquin Road, also plans to break ground this year on a three-story building with 45 units for ages 62 and older.

Meanwhile, a plan to construct over 200 apartments with commercial space on 38 acres near Route 31 is still in play. Fiduciary Real Estate Development proposes amenities such as a dog park, pool house and pickleball courts – what Kownick described as “country club living.” Developers might advance to the zoning process as early as this spring or summer, he said.

“Route 31 is an untapped opportunity for the village of Cary, most people don’t even know it’s the village of Cary,” he said.