Wake Forest’s The Grounds picks first retailers to drive all-day traffic
The Grounds has announced its first five retail tenants ahead of the mixed-use development’s fall 2027 opening.
The project’s $250M first phase, positioned between Wake Forest’s Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium and Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, will bring 42,000 square feet of experiential retail, dining, wellness and community-focused uses to the area that also houses a fairgrounds and the site of the Winston-Salem Open ATP Tour event.
The Grounds’ first wave of retailers was specifically picked to generate all-day visitation and usage of the 100-acre site. They include:
The Jimmy -- A Mediterranean and Italian-inspired restaurant from N.C.-based restaurateur Jim Noble that will fully occupy the two-story building nearest the stadium
The Fieldhouse Tavern -- Another two-story space will feature the food-forward sports bar from Winston-Salem restaurateurs Tom and Brandon Brock
Bagels & Co. -- A breakfast and lunch concept with a strong presence in college towns and communities
Tremble -- The second N.C. location for the fast-growing Pilates franchise
Allegacy Financial -- A multipurpose location for the financial institution, whose name is on the nearby football stadium
The retail village portion of the project is owned by Front Street Capital and Carter (and ground-leased from Wake Forest). The development team is collaborating with the university on tenant selection. Wake will benefit financially over the long-term through the ground lease income derived from the retail village, as well as future potential revenue sharing opportunities.
The retail village consists of five buildings, two of which will have second floor for-sale residences above the ground floor retail. The Jimmy and the Fieldhouse Tavern will both have rooftop space open to the retail village and stadium. Additional tenants will be announced later this year.
The overall project includes a 229-unit student apartment community, a 130,000-square-foot Wake Forest-anchored office building, 22 luxury residences and roughly $40M in state and city-funded infrastructure improvements. The public investment helped rehab Silas Creek, creating a greenway trail through the development.
The Grounds’ residential component sits on the north side of Silas Creek. The project is being built by contractor Brasfield & Gorrie. Nelson Worldwide designed the retail village.