Deacon Boulevard closure, new greenway lay groundwork for The Grounds
Story Highlights
Deacon Boulevard is closed between University Parkway and Piccolo Drive until August to make the road safer and more pedestrian-friendly.
Silas Creek restoration aims to make it an asset to the project.
Public-private partnership is key to managing the construction as work begins.
Construction photo - February 2025
A rendering of what Silas Creek will look like at The Grounds mixed-use development after it is restored.
Infrastructure improvements and environmental enhancements are laying the groundwork for The Grounds, the $215 million mixed-use redevelopment in northwest Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest University, which owns the 100 acres bounded by the university, Whitaker Park and the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood, has enlisted Winston-Salem developer Front Street Capital and Atlanta-based developer Carter on the project, in partnership with the city.
The project broke ground in December and enhancements designed to make way for The Grounds are underway.
A key piece of the Grounds is the realignment of Deacon Boulevard, with the goal of making it safer and more pedestrian-friendly as well as creating additional parcels to accommodate future development.
Deacon Boulevard is closed between University Parkway and Piccolo Drive until August. Drivers can use Reynolds Boulevard, Shorefair Drive, and 27th Street to access Wake Forest baseball, tennis, and football facilities and other facilities on Deacon Boulevard. Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Winston-Salem Fairgrounds facilities will still be accessible via University Parkway and 27th Street as usual.
The development team will reformat the road from four traffic lanes into two, expand sidewalks and crosswalks, and create two parking lots for visitors to the future retail village. Flex options for pedestrian-only events and additional lighting design for pedestrian safety will also be installed.
Long-term goal is to bring visitors to area
Coleman Team, president and managing partner of Front Street Capital President, said for a large-scale project like The Grounds, laying a foundation is important is important and allows for the later development. He said he expects the infrastructure work to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
"With any progress comes a little bit of disruption — we apologize that we're doing things like closing down the portion of Deacon Boulevard — but all of this is for a very distinct purpose and for a little bit of short-term pain, there will be significant long-term gain for the general public in this area," Team said.
A large goal of The Grounds is to improve walkability and connectivity in the area. A one-mile trail loop will be added and integrated into greenways and sidewalks. Wider sidewalks and bike-friendly paths will be created, and pedestrian crossings will be created across University Parkway, with the goal of increasing walkability between Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus and The Grounds.
Carter Senior Vice President Adam Parker said the longterm goal of The Grounds is to bring visitors to the area even when there are not events at any of the venues or Wake Forest is not in session. He said the road improvements and greenway will help achieve that goal.
"All of these improvements that are being done now are horizontally focused infrastructure improvements to then lay the foundation for vertical improvements down the line," Parker said.
urning Upper Silas Creek from eyesore to asset
Another significant project to make way for the development is a large-scale restoration of Upper Silas Creek. Improvements as part of this restoration include:
Eliminating severe erosion that has occurred over the last 80 years on the stream banks and side slopes.
Planting native native vegetation, which will enhance economic health and visual appeal and increase the water quality by providing shade and temperature regulation.
Planting over 200 new trees and 30,000 shrubs, grasses, and perennial plans.
Removing invasive species to creative a habitat where other species can thrive.
Creating a new multi-purpose path that will have benches, seat walls and open grassy areas for gathering.
Stabilizing banks, reducing their height, and creating a floodplain bench in order to minimize erosion and decrease the amount of sediment entering the water.
Team said many people do not even realize that Silas Creek runs through the area, and the development team wants to turn it into an asset for the Grounds.
"We're turning the creek from what used to be an eyesore ... into a beautified greenway system," he said.
The first phase of The Grounds is slated to include a 127,000-square-foot Class A office building, and a 42,000 square-foot retail village. There will also be 25 for-sale lofts above the retail village and a 229-unit residential community with 521 beds. A later part of Phase 1 will include a hospitality component with potential for a hotel or condo hotel.
Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie noted the public-private partnerships that have been crucial to the beginning of the development. He said there is a regularly occurring logistics meeting that includes officials from the city, the county, the state, Visit Winston-Salem, Greater Winston-Salem Inc. the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds and the Joel Coliseum.
"We collaborate to make sure that as infrastructure improvements happen, we can reroute traffic appropriately and manage things really positively, but also manage things proactively so the construction can proceed as quickly and as efficiently as possible," he said.
By Elizabeth 'Lilly' Egan – Reporter, Triad Business Journal