Residential, rooftops in rezoning, redevelopment plan for South Hills Mall in Cary

Some big changes are on the way for Cary's oldest mall: South Hills.

Sitting right off Interstate 440, the South Hills shopping center has a popular thrift store, Asian supermarket and a beloved local doughnut shop. Back in the old days, it had Roses, Kerr Drugs, toy trains, pinewood derby events and even reindeer. Some still remember eating burgers at Lock, Stock and Barrel.

In a few years, the area could be a whole lot different. Renderings and rezoning plans provide some insight into the mall's future.

An application for rezoning requests some big changes:

• Up to 1,775 residential units

• Up to 335,000 sq.ft. of office space for research & development

The Standards and Visions document showcases concepts for a mixed-use compact neighborhood with activated rooftops allowing for more public space.

"The vision: A vibrant, urban district that hosts concerts, sports tournaments, festivals and special events ... Pedestrian and bicycle-oriented 'living streets' lined with bustling coffee shops, local cafes and boutiques and lively restaurants ... A unique blend of residences, offices and hospitality that are seamlessly integrated."

According to plans, the South Hills Mixed Use Development aims to modernize and restore the South Hills area. The district will also offer a new sports venue that will accommodate local, regional and national demand for tournaments and special events.

The plan also includes housing designed to be particularly attractive to two groups in desperate need of housing in Cary: young people and workers earning close to the area’s median income.

Local South Hills business owners react to the changes

Debra Barkett, who runs the DejaVu Thrift Store at South Hills, says she's in panic mode.

"It was also a big shock, because we're a very small business. A lot of these businesses are small businesses, and we can't afford the rent in Cary," says Barkett.

All of DejaVu's profits go straight to the non-profit Hope Connection International.

"We're on a month-to-month (lease), with a 90-day evacuation notice. We have no idea. No one communicates with us or tells us where things stand. We just have to Google Search to see where they are with the plans for the sports complex," she says.

She says for the town and community, the changes could be good; however, she wants developers to remember the small local businesses and try to support and incorporate them in the overall plan.

Henry Ward, a partner with Loden Properties, says he's excited to have the opportunity to transform South Hills into a destination unlike anything that exists in the market currently.

"It will be urban, extremely walkable," he says. "When our vision comes to life, it'll once again be anchored with a public amenity."

He says they have leases in place that will be honored.

"We look forward to working with them through the new life of South Hills," he says.

He says it could be between 1 or 2 years before the community starts seeing the physical changes.

The history of South Hills Mall

The land where South Hills now sits was previously owned by Revolutionary War veteran and prominent Cary-ite Nathaniel Jones. Back then, the area was known as 'White Plains.'

The land was eventually passed on to Buck Jones, his grandson.

Then in the 1950s and 60s – when Maynard and Kildaire were farms, not roads – and little Cary was just hitting its first growth spurt as a result of influx from Research Triangle Park, a developer named David Martin purchased the land with the vision of creating Cary's first mall.

"Back then, you know, when I got to Cary there were about 1,200 people there. And now it’s over 140,000 people there," said Martin in an oral history interview with Cary's Oral Historian Peggy Van Scoyoc.

Martin had built a reputation for developing quality apartment complexes and housing developments in and around Raleigh.

He was known for building Raleigh's first pool--and later, he became known for building Cary's first mall.

Many people remember Martin as a kind, visionary man. Martin used recycled bricks in many portions of South Hills Mall. Bricks from the original Cary High School dormitory were used to build the service plaza at South Hills Mall.

Some of these bricks, he said, were handmade by prisoners 140 or more years ago. When central prison was torn down, he hauled away the bricks they threw away.

"They were built out of handmade brick," he said. "They were knocking all that Dix Hill, on the hillside, close to Western Blvd. I went over there, took a couple men with me. I was picking out brick, and throwing them up there and they were putting them on the truck."

Many years later, Cary Towne Center, then known as Cary Village Mall, first opened its doors in 1979.

The mall was, at its core, a family business run by local folks--an underdog to bigger malls like Crabtree Valley Mall.

"We've always been family-owned, locally-owned, the underdog. We tried to distinguish ourselves with unique family promotions, singing competitions, fashion shows, mother-daughter look alike competitions, fundraisers--just looking for ways to connect to the community."

That connection to the community may be why their mall has such unique small-town charm--a reminder of simpler days in Cary.