On a quiet stretch of Kildaire Farm Road, Greenwood Forest Baptist Church is getting ready to trade stained glass for steel beams. The Cary congregation plans to tear down large portions of its campus and replace them with a mixed-use development that packs in affordable housing, childcare, and support services under one roof.
The project, called the Timothy Ash Carr Center, will bring 51 affordable rental units, plus 11 two-bedroom program apartments reserved for working families experiencing homelessness. A full-day childcare center, run in partnership with the YMCA, will sit on the ground floor. Demolition is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with completion projected for 2028.
The church secured crucial rezoning approval last year to move the plan forward, as reported by WUNC. Project partners list DHIC as the nonprofit developer that will own the 51 affordable units and The Carying Place as the operator of the 11 program apartments, while the YMCA and Greenwood Forest Children’s Center are slated to occupy ground-floor space, according to the project website for The Timothy Ash Carr Center.
A regional housing shortfall
The Carr Center is one small response to a massive problem. A statewide analysis commissioned by the NC Chamber Foundation found North Carolina faces a five-year housing inventory gap of roughly 764,478 units from 2024 through 2029. The shortfall spans both rentals and homes for sale, according to the NC Chamber Foundation…