There is one thing I found to be abundantly clear after touring Wake Forest last spring: it is a bubble.
A bubble filled with beautiful greenery, world-class facilities and a wealth of opportunity, but nonetheless, a bubble. It felt like its own universe where the greatest escape was a local donut shop in a small nearby village. I felt trapped. The Grounds will fix that.
After being here for over a month, I have discovered gems in Reynolda Village beyond Dough-Joe’s, but still, it is no Franklin Street or Ann Arbor. It does not have the college town appeal other cities do, making Wake Forest less attractive to students who want to be able to explore beyond the 340-acre campus. While Winston-Salem is rich in culture and hidden treasures off campus, they are dispersed and difficult to access without a car. The Grounds will centralize off-campus entertainment and make the campus community feel less confined.
On Sept. 10, President Wente sent a letter to the community formally announcing the plans to create The Grounds, “a transformative mixed-use development and community hub with retail, residential, commercial and dining options in addition to community gathering and green spaces,” after first announcing plans for expansion in August of 2023. The Grounds will hold 100 acres of retail, dining, residential and office space and will be located adjacent to Winston-Salem landmarks — including Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, David F. Couch Ballpark, Wake Forest Tennis Center and Winston-Salem Fairgrounds & Arena.
This development is exactly what Wake Forest and Winston-Salem need, despite the disruption its construction may cause. The Grounds will give Wake Forest students a new outlet for social activity, retail and additional off-campus workspaces with its creation of 35% more academic space and 50% more student gathering and dining space, widening the world of Wake Forest by at least 100 more acres.
Additionally, its proximity to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium — Wake Forest’s basketball arena and football stadium — will amp up the gameday culture by providing a new gathering space before and after games, increasing excitement and thereby game attendance.
The Grounds will give Winston-Salem a new sense of liveliness and foster a greater feeling of connectedness between Wake Forest students and the Winston-Salem community, one of President Wente’s main goals. The Wake Forest campus is nestled into its own borders, separating the students from the community. Students rarely interact with Winston-Salem residents, causing tension and division between the two parties, and off-campus student housing taking over residential neighborhoods has heightened this tension. The Grounds will help to foster a new connection and allow students to feel more a part of the Winston-Salem community, and Winston-Salem community members to better accept Wake Forest students.
Not only will the benefits of The Grounds be felt here on campus, but future prospective students who had previously been turned off by the seclusion of the school and its campus will think differently. The Grounds is our new Franklin Street, and the more that is bought into and manifested to be true, the more truth it will hold.
The bubble must be popped, and The Grounds is the way to do it. It will transform Deacon Boulevard into the perfect college town development, and its impact will be felt in all aspects of campus and community life.
