Apex: A Small Town on the Rise

Apex is proud of its small town atmosphere. From downtown soda shops to major retail shopping centers, the town strives to blend its Southern hospitality with its growth and development. It can be a juggling act, but it is one that town leaders feel they are balancing with success. "Despite all the growth, Apex still has a small town feel to it," says Mayor Keith Weatherly. "There is still a strong sense of community here."

Drawn Into the Mainstream
Apex today is a town of about 30,000 souls, up from about 5,000 just 15 years ago. The town's centerpiece, the Union (train) Depot, was rebuilt in 1914. Today it is the headquarters for the Apex Chamber of Commerce. The new depot also houses quaint antique shops, restaurants, arts shops and commercial offices, and is the center of the historic area of town. "Apex is one of the few vibrant old railroad towns still around," says Tim Carley, the President of the Apex Chamber of Commerce. "It is a charming place to live and work. We moved to the area eight years ago and just fell in love with it," Carley and his wife Lisa own Carley?s on Salem, a two-story restaurant that seats 100, and successfully combines intimate fine dining with a small town charm. Window tables overlook the historic brick storefronts.

When the new Outer Loop of I-540 encircled Apex just south of the intersection of N.C. 55 and U.S. 64, it nudged this once-sleepy town into the Wake County network of economic growth.

• In 2001, Apex saw the opening of some of its first major retailers: Home Depot and Lowes Food Store.
• Peakway Market Square, a 70,000-square-foot retail center on the Apex Peakway and N.C. 55, opened in early 2004.
• Haddon Hall Commons opened in the spring also off N.C. 55 with a Harris-Teeter grocery store.
• In late 2004, the 417,000-square-foot Beaver Creek Commons opened at N.C. 55 and U.S. 64 and now draws shoppers to its Super Target and Lowe?s hardware store as well as a number of smaller shops and other restaurants.
• Fast-growing Apex may end up with more than 25 screens at two movie-multiplexes planned off N.C. 55. Marquee Cinemas is building a 14-screen complex in the Promenade at Beaver Creek and Consolidated Theatres is planning a 12- to 16-screen facility in Beaver Creek Commons.
• An additional 650,000-square-feet may be added by the Beaver Creek Crossings shopping center which is expected to be finished in 2006.

The majority of the town's growth is along N.C. 55 between Cary and Holly Springs. And what was once a two-lane road has been widened because it is now a commuter route from southern Wake County and surrounding counties into the Research Triangle Park.

Once Upon a Time
Apex prides itself on providing the "Peak of Good Living," but it was originally given its name because it was the highest point on the Chatham Railroad line between Richmond, Va. and Jacksonville, Fla. The early history of the town revolves around the railroad. The Apex railroad station was chartered in 1854. The area was first settled in the 1860s by a number of private landowners and was incorporated in 1873. A community developed around the train station, and many of the large forests in the area were cleared for farmlands. It wasn't long before Apex became an active trading and shopping center.

Two major fires shaped the history and growth of Apex. In 1905 a number of wooden commercial buildings were destroyed which provided business owners with an incentive to build fireproof brick buildings. Another fire in 1911 destroyed much of the business district, including the Merchants and Farmer's Bank, the postmaster's house, and many of the old wooden stores. By 1913, most of downtown was rebuilt -- with brick.

Housing
Once a community of small farms, today neighborhoods in all price ranges are springing up from east to west. One of the newest neighborhoods in Apex is Miramonte, a 250-home subdivision located off N.C. 55 near U.S.1.The single-family and townhouse community is being developed by McCar Homes. "Apex has a whole lot to offer and is seeing tremendous growth," says Jeff Akin, Division Vice President of McCar Homes. "It is a very progressive-thinking town that is only going to get better and better," and as a result, McCar Homes is looking for more land to develop in the Apex area.

Sightseeing & Events
A new Apex Town Hall opened on Hunter Street two years ago. Next to the Town Hall is the new Apex Community Center that includes a gymnasium, meeting rooms, catering kitchen, arts and crafts room and game room.

The town owns and maintains nine parks ranging from the 160-acre Apex Community Park to the 20-acre Jaycee Park. The Community Park has several athletic fields; tennis courts, playgrounds and a two-mile hard surface trail surrounding a small natural lake. 14,000-acre Jordan Lake, sitting in the center of a 47,000-acre state park, is just 15 minutes from downtown and offers easy access to marinas, picnic areas and campgrounds.

Apex is also famous -at least locally-for several community-wide events.

• The Peak Week Festival, held each May, draws hundreds to the streets of downtown Apex for music, food and fun.
• An Old-Fashioned Fourth of July celebration features a Parade of Wheels, games, food and special entertainment.
• A variety of musical concerts are held in front of the Apex train depot during the spring, summer and fall, including bluegrass, jazz and beach music.
• The Today and Yesteryear Festival at the end of September includes demonstrations by blacksmiths, weavers and other trades offering a look at the town's history while live entertainment gets all the guests in the holiday mood.
• Christmas is celebrated in the downtown district with the annual tree lighting, horse-drawn sleigh rides, holiday shopping and the evening Christmas parade.

According to Sheryl Bynum, Executive Director of the Apex Chamber of Commerce, established infrastructure, quality land use planning and a hometown feeling are just some of the top reasons the town appeals to homeowners and developers alike. "We knew it was just a matter of time (before we were discovered)," Bynum said, wistfully.

In 2001, Apex saw the opening of some of its first major retailers, Home Depot and Lowes Food Store.

• Peakway Market Square, a 70,000-square-foot retail center on the Apex Peakway and N.C. 55, opened in early 2004.
• Haddon Hall Commons opened in the spring also off N.C. 55 with a Harris-Teeter grocery store.
• Opening in late 2004, the 417,000-square-foot Beaver Creek Commons at N.C. 55 and U.S. 64 is drawing shoppers to its Super Target and Lowe's hardware store as well as a number of smaller shops and other restaurants.
• Fast-growing Apex may end up with more than 25 screens at two movie-multiplexes planned off N.C. 55. Marquee Cinemas is building a 14-screen complex in the Promenade at Beaver Creek and Consolidated Theatres is planning a 12- to 16-screen facility in Beaver Creek Commons.
• An additional 650,000-square-feet may be added by the Beaver Creek Crossings shopping center which is expected to be finished in 2006.

The majority of the town's growth is along N.C. 55 between Cary and Holly Springs. And what was once a two-lane road has been widened because it is now a commuter route from southern Wake County and surrounding counties into the Research Triangle Park.

Jane Paige is a freelance Writer