TOURISM
Tourism is an important asset to a community as it draws new visitors to the area to spend time and money and enhances the community’s reputation and identity. Tourism can be a tool for economic development, increasing local tax revenues and job opportunities for tourism-based industries. Wake Forest offers many assets that can be leveraged for tourism, including the historic Downtown, the Renaissance Centre, parks and greenways, and the Wake Forest Historical Museum. Heritage tourism can also be promoted based on the Town’s historic districts and structures, such as the Ailey Young House. In addition, the future S-Line passenger rail service also presents major potential to provide an entryway for thousands of visitors each year to travel to and through Wake Forest, improving the economic viability of activity centers and hotels in the area.
Destination 2028
Arts & Culture
Destination 2028 is a strategic plan led by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau with the goal of attracting 21.7 million visitors to Wake County annually. In this plan, shopping and retail experiences are identified as one of the main reasons people visit Wake County, and Downtown Wake Forest is specifically referenced as a key destination. The County as a whole is experiencing growth in tourism, driven by Raleigh-Durham International Airport, higher education institutions, business and research centers, and other leisure and cultural opportunities. The Town should leverage these resources to ensure Wake Forest capitalizes on this momentum for many years to come. Destination 2028 should be used as a guiding document to understand how coordinated private and public investments in Wake Forest and neighboring areas can complement each other and contribute to a cohesive regional tourism identity.
Wake Forest enjoys an active arts community that, with the right support, could help turn the Town into a regional arts destination. Downtown features a cluster of galleries, studios, and art shops along S White Street, including the Renaissance Centre for the Arts. These establishments are within walking distance of each other, making coordinated events or arts-centric neighborhood branding an opportunity. The Factory, located on South Main Street, offers another cultural draw to Wake Forest as both a shopping center and sports and entertainment complex. The Town should supplement these various cultural assets with decorative signage, gateways, public murals, and sculptures, as well as establish recurring and special events to activate parking lots and public spaces.
CASE STUDY
ARTS & DESIGN DISTRICT
CARMEL, INDIANA
Carmel, Indiana is a city located just north of Indianapolis whose tourism is bolstered by its own Arts and Design District. The District features a cluster of art galleries, interior designers, showrooms, antique stores, a design center, and specialty retail stores immediately surrounded by residential uses. The District is further activated by recurring festivals focused around art, wine, food, and music. Decorative brick sidewalks and crosswalks, fountains, decorative lighting, and plentiful outdoor seating all help achieve a cohesive, memorable sense of place. Brewpubs, restaurants, and higher density residential buildings help ground the District as a neighborhood that is financially robust at all times of the day and year. The Arts and Design District has helped the City earn the ranking of the best place to live in the United States for two years in a row by data company Niche.
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REVISED DRAFT 3/2/2022
COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE | TOWN OF WAKE FOREST
