The White Oak Foundation commemorated a major milestone in affordable housing and community development with the grand opening of White Oak Townhomes on June 10, 2026.
Located at 4407 Dominion Crest Drive in Apex, North Carolina, near the common border of Cary and Apex, White Oak Townhomes includes 30 newly completed residential units, 15 of which are designated as affordable housing for residents earning 80% or less of the area median income (AMI). The ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house celebration marked the completion of a project more than a decade in the making.
Hosted by the White Oak Foundation and CEO Reverend Dr. Charles R. Tyner Sr., the event brought together community leaders, elected officials, project partners, and stakeholders to recognize the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to affordable housing and community development in Wake County.
Remarks from representatives of Cary, Apex, and Wake County underscored the importance of expanding access to quality, attainable housing in one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing regions.
A Long-Term Vision for Affordable Housing in Wake County
White Oak Townhomes is part of the broader White Oak Foundation Campus, which supports housing, education, and community-serving uses. In addition to the townhomes, the campus includes the Young Scholars of Cary daycare center and future plans for senior apartment living facilities.
Following the ceremony, guests toured the completed townhomes and surrounding amenities, gaining a firsthand look at how the development will support residents, families, and the greater Raleigh-area community for generations to come.
WithersRavenel’s Engineering Support
WithersRavenel supported the White Oak Foundation since 2016, when this vision of a community that included affordable workforce housing, child care for those same workers in close proximity, and senior housing was shared by Rev. Dr. Tyner with WithersRavenel Senior Technical Consultant Ed Tang, PE.
WithersRavenel provided early planning, engineering design, environmental, landscape architecture, and construction administration and closeout services for the project. The firm’s involvement helped advance a complex, community-focused development located near Cary and Apex.
The first part of the project included designing the Young Scholars Daycare and then the adjacent townhomes. WithersRavenel is currently working on the design of the senior living portion of the greater project, with approvals anticipated in 2026.
Planning, Rezoning, and Entitlement Assistance
Early in the process, WithersRavenel prepared concept sketch plans based on the client’s vision to help evaluate the site’s development potential, assisted with rezoning and land use plan amendment efforts in the Town of Cary. Our project partners for the rezoning efforts included Glenda S. Toppe and Associates.
These services helped support the Foundation’s efforts to rezone the property to a district that would allow the proposed residential and community-serving uses, including affordable housing, future senior apartment living facilities, and the Young Scholars of Cary daycare center.
Environmental Review and Site Due Diligence
WithersRavenel’s work also included environmental due diligence and permitting support, including champion tree assessment coordination, wetland and stream delineation, Corps jurisdictional verification, and stream buffer determination coordination with the Town of Cary.
These services were essential to understanding the site conditions and helping the project advance through the entitlement and approval process.
Construction Administration and Project Closeout
As the project moved forward, WithersRavenel provided services during construction, construction observation, record as-built drawings, utility certifications, stormwater control measure record drawings, as-built certifications, and site plan amendment support.
This included helping separate the daycare and townhome components into distinct phases on the site plan and updating utility permit applications for submittal.
A Collaborative Effort Years in the Making
White Oak Townhomes was made possible through the dedication, expertise, and collaboration of many committed partners. The White Oak Foundation extended its sincere appreciation to the architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, lenders, suppliers, and community advocates who helped transform this vision into reality.
Together, the partners helped bring forward an affordable housing community that will provide meaningful opportunities for families near Cary and Apex while advancing the White Oak Foundation’s broader mission of ”Caring for the Total Person” in Wake County.
Partner With WithersRavenel
From affordable housing communities to mixed-use developments and institutional campuses, WithersRavenel helps clients navigate planning, engineering, permitting, and construction challenges across North Carolina. To learn how our multidisciplinary team can support your next project, contact WithersRavenel today.
