Malls · North Carolina

Cary Towne Center

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedPartly retrofittedCary, NC

Opened 1979. Closed 2021. Partial Redeveloped in 2022.

Status nowPartly retrofittedextracted, unreviewed

What it becameretail, housing, office, hotel, civic, entertainmentextracted, unreviewed

Last sale$95.0M · 2021public reporting

Retrofit year2022extracted, unreviewed

Walkability14.7 of 20 · 15-minute 4 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap

Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD

Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.

Cary Towne Center. Photo: Cary Towne Center, CBL & Associates Properties, Inc., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile23 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors

Belk

This site: Belk wikipedia · all sites with this

Dillard's

This site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with this

JCPenney

This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with this

Macy's

This site: Macy's wikipedia · all sites with this

Sears

This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with this

Finance and pipeline

Sold since 2020

This site: 2021 Epic Games research-deals · all sites with this

Website dead or redirecting

This site: …http://www.vipformalwear.com/ overture / http check · all sites with this

Place

Bike network nearby

This site: 12 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this

County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a year

This site: 5,568 units, Wake County census-bps · all sites with this

Fast-growing county (8%+ 2018–23)

This site: 10% census-acs · all sites with this

Grocery within 800 m

This site: 3 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this

Renter-majority tract

This site: 63% census-acs · all sites with this

Tract house prices doubled in 10 years

This site: +113% fhfa · all sites with this

Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)

This site: …index 14.7 epa-walkability · all sites with this

Policy tool

Rezoning

This site: …zoning request for mixed-use redevelopment extraction · all sites with this

Strategy

Redeveloped

This site: As of April 2026, the site still stands vacant with only the former Belk building still intact extraction · all sites with this

New use

Civic and government

This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

Entertainment and sports

This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

Hotel

This site: SF), residential (800 dwelling units), office (600,000 SF), hotel (600 rooms) and community spaces. extraction · all sites with this

Housing

This site: submitted mixed use proposal included retail (352,000 SF), residential (800 dwelling units), office (600,000 SF), hotel (600 rooms extraction · all sites with this

Mixed use

This site: …th only the former Belk building still intact The submitted mixed use proposal included retail (352,000 SF), residential (800 dwe extraction · all sites with this

Office

This site: …uded retail (352,000 SF), residential (800 dwelling units), office (600,000 SF), hotel (600 rooms) and community spaces. extraction · all sites with this

Retail (continued)

This site: …ding still intact The submitted mixed use proposal included retail (352,000 SF), residential (800 dwelling units), office (600 extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

Status	Partly retrofittedextracted, unreviewed
Strategy	Partial Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed
New uses	retail, housing, office, hotel, civic, entertainmentextracted, unreviewed
What is there now	As of April 2026, the site still stands vacant with only the former Belk building still intactextracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year	2022extracted, unreviewed
Redeveloper	Epic Gamesextracted, unreviewed

Planning

Zoning change	zoning request for mixed-use redevelopmentextracted, unreviewed
Planning notes	The submitted mixed use proposal included retail (352,000 SF), residential (800 dwelling units), office (600,000 SF), hotel (600 rooms) and community spaces.extracted, unreviewed

Deals and debt

Date	Event	Price	Parties	Source
2021	Sold	$95.0M closed	Epic Games ← Turnbridge Equities and Denali Properties	Wikipedia

Securitised debt and public filers

Filings (2001 to date) that name “Cary Towne Center” and “Cary” (174 hits, first 100 sampled). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.

Kind	Filer	Filings	Dates	Forms
Public owner (strong)	CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC (CBL)	100	2001-01-19 to 2020-08-06	8-K 86, 10-Q 6, 10-K 4, 8-K/A 4
Public owner (strong)	CBL & ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP	44	2013-11-06 to 2020-08-06	8-K 35, 10-Q 5, 10-K 2, 8-K/A 2

As reported by the owner

Property tables from the owner's annual report (Form 10-K, Item 2) on EDGAR, one row per filing year. GLA, occupancy and anchors are the filer's own figures at that year end; “leased” counts signed leases, “occupied” counts open stores; ownership is the filer's share. Matched by name and place, unreviewed; the verbatim table row is in sec_facts.csv.

Year end	Filer	Name in filing	GLA sq ft	Occupancy	Years	Share	Sales psf	Anchors listed
2016	CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2017-03-01	Cary Towne Center Cary, NC match: exact	927,882 in-line 266,096		built 1979 / acquired 2001 / renovated 1993	100.0%		Belk, Cary Towne Furniture, Dave & Buster's, Dillard's, JC Penney, Jump Street, former Macy's
2009	CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2010-02-22	Cary Towne Center Cary, NC match: exact	1,014,155 in-line 407,423	96.0% leased	built 1979 / acquired 2001 / renovated 1993	100.0%	$245	Belk, Dillard's, JC Penney, Macy's, Sears
2006	CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2007-03-01	Cary Towne Center Cary, NC match: exact	1,007,642 in-line 299,463	96.0% leased	built 1979 / acquired 2001 / renovated 1993	100.0%	$305	Belk, Dillard’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, Sears

Site context

FEMA flood zone	X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m	2: OKLAHOMA INSTALLATION CO; PHILLIPS 66 COEPA FRS
Census tract 37183053516	3,480 people, 3,424 per sq mi; median household income $77,794; median gross rent $1,445; 63% renters; 10.7% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)	index 14.7 of 20; 129 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 742 m; land-use mix 0.75; 90,204 jobs within 45 min by car, 43,033 by transit; 8% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)	4 of 6 daily needs: 3 grocers, 3 schools, 8 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 0 civic, 17 food and drink; 12 cycleway segments, 122 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zone	noHUD
Housing permits, Wake County (NC), 2024	5,568 units in 5+ unit buildings, 60 in 2–4, 9,620 single-family; 2023: 8,190 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)	overall percentile 0.49; socioeconomic 0.41; housing and transport 0.33; 16% below 150% of poverty; 5% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby	1 within 10 km, 5 within 25 km: Research Triangle Park (9.4 km)computed
Overture Maps	place Vip Formal Wear, Cary Towne Center (formal_wear_store, confidence 0.85, from Microsoft, Overture)Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and social	www.vipformalwear.com (down or redirecting, status 405); archived 2000–2025 (Wayback)Overture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views	101,957 since 2015; 7,209 in the last 12 months (-17% vs the prior 12); peak 2021-01 with 6,426Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023	population -8% (3,766 → 3,480); median income +15% ($67,802 → $77,794); renters 56% → 63%; median home value +102% ($201,100 → $405,600)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)	relatively low overall (score 28.9); expected annual loss $699,075; community resilience very highFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 km	1 LIHTC properties, 42 units: Ryan Spring (42 units)HUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023	3,618 establishments (+14%); 65,004 jobs (+26%)Census CBP
Housing market in the county	typical home value $471,020 (-2% 1 yr, +18% 5 yr); typical rent $1,659/mo (+1% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025	474 (2000 = 100); -2.6% 1 yr, +51% 5 yr, +113% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)	22,350 vehicles a day on SR-1313 (minor arterial, 4 lanes); 23 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Opened as Cary Village Mall in 1979, expanded and renamed Cary Towne Center in 1991 with anchors including Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney and Sears. After years of declining performance, the mall closed in January 2021 and demolition began in spring 2022. As of April 2026 the site remains vacant except for the former Belk building, which is still standing.

Why. The record notes the mall struggled for years before closing, but does not specify anchor losses, competition, or debt as reasons.

Where it stands. The site is currently vacant with only the former Belk building intact, and is owned by Epic Games following its $95 million purchase in 2021.

For a planner

Precedent: a mixed‑use redevelopment proposal was submitted and later withdrawn by the Town of Cary in 2025.
Policy tools used: zoning change request for mixed‑use redevelopment and a detailed mixed‑use program (retail, housing, office, hotel, civic).
Open questions: whether a new mixed‑use plan will be approved, timing of any redevelopment, and the fate of the remaining Belk structure.

For a developer

Control: wholly owned by Epic Games since the 2021 $95 M purchase.
Entitlement stage: the zoning request for mixed‑use was withdrawn in 2025, so no approved entitlements are currently in place.
Proposed program scale: retail 352,000 SF, 800 dwelling units, office 600,000 SF, hotel 600 rooms, plus community spaces (per planning notes).
Context constraints: floodplain, transit access, and environmental factors are not mentioned in the record and thus unknown.

What we do not know yet

Original site size and parcel boundaries are not provided.
Flood risk, transit proximity, and environmental constraints are absent from the record.
The after_notes and status fields are marked as extraction and may be unverified.
The zoning request withdrawal date (2025) comes from the events list without independent confirmation.
Opp_score and opp_reasons are model‑generated and have not been reviewed.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

Summit Park Mall, Wheatfield, NY · Malls · opened 1972; closed 2018; same strategy: redevelop
Spring Hill Mall, West Dundee, IL · Malls · opened 1980; closed 2024; same strategy: redevelop
Forest Mall, Fond du Lac, WI · Malls · opened 1973; closed 2020; same strategy: redevelop
Northgate Mall, Durham, NC · Malls · closed 2020; same strategy: redevelop; also in NC

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Cary Towne Center Cary NC | gameking3 | Flickr flickr.com
Cary Towne Center commons.wikimedia.org
Fairlane Town Center tripadvisor.com
Epic Games Acquired Cary Towne Center to Make It Into Its New, Massiv… wccftech.com
Cary Towne Center - Raleigh Malls and Shopping activerain.com
Cary Towne Center gaining new owner while losing JCPenney wral.com
Cary Towne Center [1979-2021] youtube.com

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

retrofit already built
county grew 10.0% 2018–23
median rent $1,508
housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened	1979Wikidata
Closed	2021extracted, unreviewed
Original developer	local developers Seby Jones (who built Crabtree Mall and J.W. York (who built Cameron Village)extracted, unreviewed
Anchors	Macy's, Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Belk
County	Wake County
Census division	5 · South Atlantic
Notes	Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Cary Towne Center was an indoor shopping mall in Cary, North Carolina. It was anchored by Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, and Sears. It opened as Cary Village Mall in 1979, and was expanded and renamed in 1991. The mall, after years of struggle, closed in January 2021, eventually being demolished in Spring 2022.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

1979 Opened (Wikidata)
1979 Opened as Cary Village Mall
1991 Expanded to 1.1 million sq ft and renamed Cary Towne Center
2001 Sold to CBL & Associates Properties
2019 Purchased by Turnbridge Equities and Denali Properties
2020 Announced plans to close and demolish for Carolina Yards mixed-use project
2021 Acquired by Epic Games for $95 million
2021 Mall closed permanently
2022 Demolition began
2025 Town of Cary withdrew zoning request
2026 Site vacant with former Belk building intact

Sources

Wikipedia: Cary Towne Center · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed, zoning change
16 quoted sentences
The mall, after years of struggle, closed in January 2021
local developers Seby Jones (who built Crabtree Mall and J.W. York (who built Cameron Village)
As of April 2026, the site still stands vacant with only the former Belk building still intact
As of April 2026, the site still stands vacant with only the former Belk building still intact

Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Cary Towne Center, Cary, NC." Record m-d2dc88c2e4, imported, unreviewed. Built on the public Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/nc/cary-cary-towne-center/ (accessed 2026-10-20).