Garner Recreation Center Wins State Award for Best Infill Development

In August 2021, the transformational Garner Recreation Center opened in historic downtown Garner. Construction began in 2017 for the 40,000 square feet facility that has enticed, 200 member sign-ups and has drawn more than 75,000 visitors to Downtown Garner since its opening. The project was funded by multiple partners, including a 2013 Garner bond referendum, the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, Con Agra Corporation, Wake County, and the North Carolina General Assembly.

Downtown Garner staff helped assemble the properties to accommodate this facility and other projects. It has resulted in expanded athletic leagues, camps, after school programs, and fitness and specialty classes. It is an event center for the entire community, providing rental space for local activities and statewide sports tournaments. Garner’s Holiday Block Party and Movies on the Lawn events have been relocated to the recreation center campus.

Most impressive has been the economic development it has spurred in Downtown Garner. Three new downtown businesses opened prior to the recreation center’s opening. And there is a new mixed-use project under development that will include 101 new residential units, 5,500 square feet of new commercial space, and the expansion of the Main Street commercial footprint by 50%.

The recreation center has 8 full-time jobs and 40 part-time and seasonal jobs. A private company invested $2.7 million to renovate two downtown properties into a distillery and wedding venue, and other downtown businesses invested more than $1.5 million to improve existing properties.

WakeMed Officially Announces 'Whole Person' Health Facility in Garner

WakeMed Health & Hospitals joined Congresswoman Deborah Ross, retired Congressman David Price, and Wake County Government and Town of Garner, NC Government officials and leaders at Garner Town Hall to celebrate the $12 million in federal and county funding for the planned mental health and well-being hospital in Garner near White Oak Road and Timber Drive.

The hospital will meet a critical need for mental health and well-being care services and support our growing population.

Watch announcement

Garner Resident Input Need: Greater Triangle Commuter Rail Project Feasibility Study Phase II Survey

Comment period is open from January 5th - February 19th, 2023.

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Commuter Rail Feasibility Report Now Available

The proposed Greater Triangle Commuter Rail would offer a congestion-free transportation alternative for the region that is slated to grow by more than a million people and a corresponding 1 million cars in the next 30 years. GoTriangle would like your opinion on the phases studied in the report.

Options and Costs

The results of the Greater Triangle Commuter Rail feasibility study provide options for implementation of regional passenger rail service. Due to the high cost and technical challenges associated with delivering the full project at once, the study considered phases for staged implementation in the eastern, central, and western portions of the corridor. With costs varying for each, the three portions include:

• Eastern portion Implementing service from the Auburn Station in Garner to Raleigh Union Station.

• Central portion Implementing service from Raleigh Union Station to the Ellis Road Station.

• Western portion Implementing service from the RTP Station to the West Durham Station.

Out of the three phases, the western phase has considerable challenges associated with construction including higher cost and a longer implementation time frame. Due to the challenges associated the western phase is being considered for a later stage of implementation.

The next step is for leaders to decide what portion should be built first.

WakeMed Announces Plans to Build Hospital in Garner

WakeMed on Aug. 15 filed a certificate of need with the state to build a 45-bed acute care hospital with 24 emergency department bays in Garner.

The 170,000-square-foot hospital, if approved, would be located on 27 acres around White Oak Road and Timber Drive East. Groundbreaking would be in fall 2024 with completion in fiscal year 2027. [See fact sheet on Garner hospital plans.]

WakeMed has three healthplexes—one in Garner on U.S. 70, one in Brier Creek and one in Apex—that all include full-service emergency departments (EDs). The Garner Healthplex ED is responsible for 44 percent of the overall healthplex ED patient volume.

Pending state approval, the Garner Healthplex ED, which currently has 12 beds, would move to the new hospital and would have 24 beds.

The current Garner Healthplex would convert to a medical park, which would include medical practices and ambulatory services such as imaging and lab.

About WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed is a not-for-profit health care system founded and based in Raleigh, N.C. WakeMed exists to improve the health and well-being of our community by providing outstanding and compassionate care to all. WakeMed’s 970-bed system comprises a network of facilities throughout the Triangle area, including three full-service hospitals, seven emergency departments, a dedicated Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital, more than 80 physician offices and Wake County’s only Level I Trauma Center. WakeMed’s mission-driven team includes more than 10,300 employees, 1,000 volunteers and 1,300 affiliated physicians, along with the more than 700 physicians and providers with WakeMed Physician Practices – all representing the best minds and the biggest hearts and the finest quality in health care and community health. For more information, visit www.wakemed.org or follow WakeMed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Wake County Commissioners Approve Regional EMS Services Station in Garner

Wake County commissioners on July 11th agreed to move forward with plans to build a new, 12,748-square-foot regional emergency medical services station in the Town of Garner.

The Garner Main EMS Station is a prototype that will serve not only as a base of operations for the units and personnel deployed there, but as a hub for Wake County EMS providers throughout the region.

The station will offer expanded medical storage, oxygen inventory and dedicated space for on-duty training. It will feature six bay parking spaces for emergency vehicles and three covered service bays to service, resupply and stock EMS response units. An electric vehicle charging station, along with two parking spaces, will be located on site.

The Garner Main EMS Station will be the second county facility to open with solar panels built into its original design. This will generate 40,000 kilowatts of power annually, offsetting 34% of the building’s electric consumption and saving $2,600 annually.

This project is part of Wake County’s solar portfolio, which will total 530 kW-DC once this project is complete. That’s enough to power about 40 homes and offset the greenhouse gas emissions of 74 passenger cars each year.

Read more at https://www.wakegov.com/.../new-regional-ems-station...

The station will be located on Thompson Road, adjacent to Timber Drive Elementary.

Temporary Lane Closures to Occur Along Jones Sausage Road Starting May 3

Next week, starting on Tuesday, there will be temporary lane closures (approximately one and a half hours in length) at eight different locations along Jones Sausage Road from the southern end of the Amazon facility to just south of the Garner Road intersection.

The closures will occur one at a time to enable hole-boring work to be done along the corridor between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (off-peak drive times during the day). The work will be performed over the course of several days. We will provide any pertinent updates as we receive them.

Congresswoman Ross Secures $1 million in Federal Funding for Downtown Garner Improvements

House passes bipartisan legislation to fund the federal government; bill includes Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and measures to support Ukraine, invest in education and job training, and lower costs for the middle class

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Project Sponsor: Town of Garner
Address: 900 Seventh Avenue, Garner, NC 27529
Amount Funded: $1,030,405
Project Description and Explanation: The project is a comprehensive rehabilitation of the intersection of Main Street and Rand Mill Rd. in Downtown Garner, North Carolina.

At the intersection and along Main Street, streetscape improvements include: a pedestrian plaza and sidewalk amenities to create a sense of place; grade separation between sidewalk and street at the intersection; pedestrian safety bump-outs to increase visibility at crosswalks; stamped colored asphalt at the intersection and crosswalk to serve as traffic calming; stormwater drainage improvements to prevent flooding; and a 2-story mural of important cultural figures from Garner’s history.

South of the intersection, the town will construct a new public parking lot, including 59 new paved parking spots and a communal trash solution for the downtown business owners. The parking lot will transform an underutilized central lot into a productive downtown asset and public investment in this project will catalyze private development in downtown Garner. This project will increase accessibility and capacity for residents and visitors to enjoy the entire downtown.

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Washington, D.C.— Tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan government funding bill, H.R. 2471, which will support our allies abroad and make a positive difference in the lives of North Carolina families and workers. This omnibus package provides funding to create jobs in our state, invest in innovation and medical research in the Triangle, and lower the high cost of childcare, college tuition, and housing. The legislation also allocates security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act.

This spending bill contains many provisions spearheaded by Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), including more than $10 million in funding for community projects in Wake County. These projects designate federal investments in local universities, affordable housing, transportation, infrastructure, and more.

“I’m incredibly proud to vote for these historic investments in North Carolina as well as additional support for the people of Ukraine in their courageous struggle for freedom,” said Congresswoman Ross. “I fought hard to secure more than $10 million in funding for community projects that will support underserved areas, foster economic development, and make a real difference in the lives of the people of Wake County. This legislation is a testament to the work we can accomplish when we set our partisan differences aside and put the interests of the American people first. From finally reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and strengthening Pell Grants, to funding security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, this legislation tackles the most pressing challenges our nation is facing. I urge my Senate colleagues to swiftly pass the bill and send it to President Biden’s desk.”

Within the legislation, Congresswoman Ross secured funding for 10 Wake County community projects. These include:

• $500,000 for Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification DNA Testing Equipment

• $300,000 for Morrisville Small Business Development Program

• $3,000,000 for South Raleigh Heritage Walk

• $1,000,000 for Cary Regional Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility

• $1,030,405 for Town of Garner Streetscape and Parking Improvements on Rand Mill Road

• $2,000,000 for King's Ridge permanent, supportive housing

• $1,000,000 for Wake County Emergency Operations Center

• $900,000 for Town of Cary for Swift Creek Stormwater Management and Modeling Program

• $350,000 for North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC for computer science education

• $600,000 for Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC for college preparation and success initiative

For more information on each of these projects, click here.

The bill also reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which has been one of Congresswoman Ross’ top priorities since taking office. VAWA makes vital improvements to programs and laws to combat gender-based violence based on extensive consultations with victim service providers, law enforcement, and other experts. This reauthorization includes a Ross-led bill, the Supporting Access to Nurse Exams Act, which addresses the national shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs), who are instrumental in providing medical care to survivors of sexual assault. VAWA also includes a Ross amendment that will fund the creation of databases detailing where these nurses are located, a pressing issue in North Carolina.

The government funding legislation also includes significant investments to: 

• Support the Ukrainian people as they continue to be attacked by Russia. The bill includes $13.6 billion in emergency funding for humanitarian, military, and economy support, as well as measures to help the millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country.

• Reduce costs for working families in America by expanding child care and early learning programs to more working families, investing in America’s K-12 public schools, and making college more affordable. The bill increases the maximum for Pell Grants to $6,895, the largest expansion in more than a decade. It also includes $363 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

• Establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to accelerate the pace of scientific breakthroughs for diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer.

• Create good-paying American jobs, putting North Carolinians to work rebuilding our infrastructure, helping small businesses grow and thrive, fostering the green energy jobs of tomorrow, and supporting high-quality job training. The bill designates $235 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $50 million to continue and expand Strengthening Community College Training Grants. It also includes $8.84 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support cutting-edge research in the Triangle and beyond.

• Support the vulnerable by meeting Americans basic needs, by strengthening nutrition assistance, and funding more affordable housing. The legislation includes $11 billion for new affordable housing, critical health, safety, and maintenance improvements to ensure the safety and quality of public and low-income housing and community development activities.

Garner Selects Lansing Melbourne Group for Downtown Development Site

At their May 3, 2021 meeting, the Garner Town Council voted unanimously to endorse the town staff’s recommendation to move forward with Lansing Melbourne Group (LMG) as developer for the Downtown Opportunity Site. 

This decision is the culmination of an almost two year process of working with the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI) to complete pre-development analysis  and solicit developer interest for the site, located between the historic business district and the new Recreation Center.DFI consultant Matt Crook gave a brief overview of the process leading up to developer selection and Downtown Development Manager Mari Howe presented the staff recommendation to work with LMG.  Howe told the council that LMG received very high praise from other communities that they worked in, where their original projects often expanded to include additional phases.

In her presentation, Howe shared several key factors that led to staff choosing LMG, including:

• their experience with public private partnerships,

• their background with parking development,

• their community oriented development process,

• their “club-level” financing model,

• their interest in future phases of development, and

• their local approach to retail recruitment.

Council members Demian Dellinger and Gra Singleton participated in interviews with the final two development candidates.  Dellinger agreed that LMG would be a good fit for Garner’s culture and needs in Downtown Garner. Singleton said that he felt confident that LMG would work hard to make sure they could deliver what the community wanted, even if that meant changing some elements of their original proposal.

Town council authorized staff to start working with DFI and LMG on negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding for the project, a process which will take about 90 days.

Garner's Station Podcast #14: Jeff Triezenberg, Garner Planning Director

Rick Mercier sits down with Garner's planning director, Jeff Triezenberg, to talk about what a planning department does and how Garner continues to plan for future growth. Topics include reexamination of Garner's UDO (unified development ordinance), traffic impact, public transit and much more in this latest episode of Garner's Station Podcast.

Garner Announced as Location for New VA Clinic

Garner, NC—The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that it recently accepted an offer to lease 244,860 square feet of space for a new outpatient multi-specialty clinic in the Town of Garner.

The site for the new construction is approximately 17 acres located on the west side of N.C. 50 between Rand Road and Arbor Greene Drive. The real property investment amount for the project is estimated to be about $100 million.

“This facility will be a great addition to our community. We are proud that the Town of Garner will be known throughout the region as a hub for veterans' health-care services,” Mayor Ken Marshburn said. “Our veterans deserve the finest of care, and I’m confident that this new facility will provide outstanding care to the men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. I’m sure the VA staff and veterans who come to Garner for services will find us to be a welcoming and compassionate community that deeply appreciates what our veterans have done to ensure our freedoms.”

VA officials said they were enthusiastic about bringing a facility of this scale to Garner and Wake County.

“The Durham VA Health Care System values our local community partners’ efforts in helping us to keep the nation’s promise to our veterans,” said DVAHCS Executive Director Paul Crews. “The new outpatient facility will employ nearly 400 VA employees, ranging from administrative support to health-care providers. It will offer primary care and mental-health services to nearly 25,000 veterans annually from Wake County and surrounding areas.”

Limited specialty services may include cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, pathology, audiology and speech, rehabilitation medicine, and imaging services including CT and MRI. A pharmacy and eye clinic could also be a part of the facility. VA officials say that specialty services could change based on demand and need at the facility.

“We are excited about the development and construction of a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will allow the Durham VA Health Care System to ensure that veterans who choose VA receive the highest-quality care. This facility will allow us to provide veterans with the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” said Fred Roche, administrator of the new VA facility.

A joint venture, Atriax/PPGG JV, based in Hickory, N.C., will serve as the developer and lessor for the center. The majority of the lessor’s design, construction and operations team is based in North Carolina. The Atriax/PPGG JV is a service-disabled, veteran-owned business with years of experience in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs projects.

“As a veteran-owned company, we couldn’t be more proud to serve the veterans of North Carolina through this important project and the critical health-care services to be delivered by the professionals in the VA,” Atriax principal George Auten said.

Brenda H. Compton with locally based Hartwell Realty represents the property owners in the sale for the project.

“It was truly an honor for me and the Hartwell Realty team to be involved in a project that will have such a meaningful economic impact on Garner while providing a much-needed service for our veterans,” Compton said. “This multifaceted transaction could not have been successful without the hard work and collaboration of the Atriax Group, property owners and local municipalities. It’s a huge win for Garner and our regional economy.”

For more information on the Durham VA Health Care System, please contact Shahron James at 919.928.3997 or by email at shahron.james@va.gov For more information on economic development matters in Garner, please contact Joe Stallings at 919.773.4431 or at jstallings@garnernc.gov.