Developers look to convert offices into studio apartments in Cary

A two-story office building off Route 14 in Cary could be turned into 12 studio and one-bedroom apartments in the next few years.

Developers are looking to convert the offices at 210-214 Crystal St. into 400- to 600-square-feet apartments that will be “smaller and more affordable” than “high-cost luxury” apartments in the area. Barrington-based developer Jay Kim of Northern Point Properties estimates studios would go for about $1,000 a month and one-bedroom units for $1,200 to $1,300.

The proposal was unanimously recommended by the village’s Zoning, Planning and Appeals board Thursday. The Cary Village Board is tentatively scheduled to vote on the proposal on May 6.

Kim described the apartments as a need for the village, as not many commuter-friendly studio options are available. The building is across Route 14 from the Cary Metra train station.

“I think it’s ideal to have that type of apartments here in Cary, especially in the vicinity of the train station for those people that are young, single professionals that are starting out need an affordable place to stay,” Kim said. “I think it’ll be an ideal place for them.”

The proposal asks for a rezoning from business to multifamily residential along with variances for parking and density. The office building currently has 20 parking spots, and 27 spaces are required from the village code. The code requires a maximum of 18 units per acre, while this property on less than half of an acre would be 26 units per acre.

Some residents expressed concerns about limited parking and an increase in pedestrians crossing Route 14 to and from the train station.

The property was rezoned from residential to business in 1997 to develop existing office building and is surrounded by multi- and single-family residential and business zoned properties.

If approved, the building would be converted in phases as current commercial leases expire. The last existing lease expires in December 2026, and developers aim to complete changes by June 2027. No exterior modifications are planned for the conversion, according to village documents.

The Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce currently has a lease that ends in August 2026, and the chamber plans to find another location in the near future, chamber President and CEO Lynn Caccavallo said in an email to the Northwest Herald.

Another multifamily project proposed for Cary, at the site of the former Maplewood School, has prompted strong resistance from some neighbors who want to see single-family homes there instead.