Things are really taking shape at The Grounds, the mixed-use district near Allegacy Stadium and LJVM Coliseum. Silas Creek is being restored, a walking trail connected to Wake Forest has been paved, and student apartments and a Wake Forest office building have gone vertical.

Perhaps most exciting: The Grounds announced its founding five tenants for its retail + dining village:

The Jimmy, a two-story Mediterranean- and Italian-inspired restaurant from NC restaurateur Jim Noble with a rooftop bar
The Fieldhouse Tavern, a two-story food-forward sports bar from Winston-Salem restaurateurs Tom and Brandon Brock with rooftop space
Bagels & Co., a breakfast and lunch concept that’s found success in college communities, featuring handcrafted bagels, homemade schmears, made-to-order sandwiches, and coffee
TREMBLE, the third NC location of a high-intensity reformer pilates franchise to be headed locally by a mother-daughter duo
Allegacy Financial, a multipurpose location of financial expertise and services and community connection in a multi-purpose space

Expected to open in fall 2027, the 42,000-sqft retail + dining village is part of the first phase of the $250-million mixed-use development. Set on 100 acres owned by Wake Forest University, the district is being developed jointly by Winston-Salem’s Front Street Capital and Atlanta’s Carter.

The goal is to serve a broad mix of Winston-Salem residents and visitors and make this area a destination all year, creating an expected $1.3 billion economic impact in its first 10 years.

“For a long time, people have understood the potential of this area on a game day. This first group of retailers shows what The Grounds will do for those event days and beyond, on every other day of the year,” said Coleman Team, president and managing partner of Front Street Capital.

WStoday got a boots-on-the-ground (no pun intended) look at how the development is shaping up and spoke with Jane Jane Duncan, director of marketing for Front Street Capital, about its progress and future plans.

A rendering shows what the retail + dining village will look like at The Grounds. | Rendering courtesy of The Grounds

Why these retailers

From deep Winston-Salem roots to new and emerging concepts and from morning pick-me-ups to game-day gatherings, these tenants were intentionally curated. Duncan said they were focused on bringing retailers that would provide “all-day” and “all-year” energy to The Grounds and feel like they belong in Winston-Salem.

“We knew that everything here had to be complementary to Winston. We wanted it to feel like there’s a place for [these businesses], so we knew we wouldn’t achieve that with national chains,” she said.

You’ll recognize some of the names above. Tom and Brandon Brock are the father-son duo behind Sage & Salt, Tuscani, and the Spicy Pickle. Jim Noble’s Winston-Salem restaurants include Rooster’s and Bossy Beulah’s. He operates another location of The Jimmy in Charlotte, but this version will take a different approach, offering more of an Italian-chophouse-inspired menu.

Additional tenants expect to be announced by the first quarter of 2027.

Retail village’s extra perks includes condos, public green space

A map highlights where the first wave of tenants will be located in The Grounds' retail + dining village. | Rendering courtesy of The Grounds

On the map above, you’ll notice that five buildings comprise the retail + dining village and will be surrounded by patios, lawns, rooftops, and public gathering spaces. There’s also a stage between buildings C and D, where live music and community events will be held.

Free parking will be available in the new lots just across Deacon Boulevard, except on game and event days when they are used as permit parking.

Two of the buildings (C and E) will each have multiple floors above them featuring luxury condos — most of the 22 which have already been sold, according to Duncan. She added that these 1,500- to 2,000-sqft residences cannot be turned into for-profit rentals.

Other parts of The Grounds on schedule

To date, The Grounds has also completed $40 million in state- and city-funded infrastructure improvements.

Two of the other three major components of the first phase — apartments and an office building — are on track to open next summer.

The Creekside at The Grounds will be a 229-unit, 521-bed apartment community built specifically for college and graduate students. The 130,000-sqft office building between the retail village and Allegacy Stadium will become home to non-student-facing Wake Forest departments.

In the meantime, a pedestrian path connecting Wake Forest and The Grounds has been completed and is in a soft opening phase. You can walk the trail, which will be surrounded by a growing greenway and a restored Silas Creek, on the days Wake Forest football plays at home starting three hours before kickoff and 90 minutes after the game. Duncan said the path will be fully open when the retail village opens.

With the retail village coming to life and construction on schedule for the office building and student apartments, The Grounds is planning for the second phase of development, which will be a combination of hospitality and office uses.

While construction continues, be aware of the potential for traffic impacts — especially on event days.

What are you most excited about for The Grounds? Let us know.