The list of businesses coming to White Oak Shopping Center keeps growing larger.
Core Properties President Rich Barta, announced Thursday that a T-Mobile, Zaxby’s, Sheetz, Lady Jane’s Haircut’s and Blaze Pizza will soon make their way to the growing shopping center off U.S. 70 and White Oak Road.
He also said Longhorn Steakhouse is expected to open on Sept. 21.
Barta made the announcement at the Garner Chamber of Commerce’s annual Connect Conference.
More than 100 people attended the conference Thursday. Attending the conference were Senator Chad Barefoot, Wake County Commissioner chairman James West, Wake County Manager Jim Hartman, WCPSS senior director for high school programs and former Garner High School principal Drew Cook and WCPSS school board chairwoman Christine Kushner.
Among the discussions at the conference were Interstate 540, Wake County transit, schools, economic development and what’s happening at White Oak.
Barta has made similar announcements at previous conferences, including last year when he revealed Carolina Ale House would be coming. That restaurant opened in July.
And two years ago, he signaled that there would soon be an announcement of a business that would “change the landscape of Garner and earn statewide recognition.”
That business turned out to be the state’s first Cabela’s and Barta’s proclamations of it changing the landscape of the town have seemed to hold true.
It’s almost as if White Oak has announced a new restaurant or retail store every month.
“Currently we are approaching 600 people employed at White Oak in the northeast quadrant and that will change when the hotel comes, and that will change again when we start opening stores on the west side,” Barta said. “With what we have in the pipeline right now, there’s probably 1,000 in collective jobs out there just to get the engine started.”
Mayor Ronnie Williams said when Barta made the announcement about Cabela’s two years ago, he didn’t expect it to have this much of an impact.
“Not to this magnitude,” Williams said. “I expected some changes for the better but not to this magnitude. It’s been great.”
Williams said White Oak has done a lot for the town in many ways, and it’s apparent by the new restaurants and shopping choices.
“It’s changed the way we do things in Garner,” he said. “Now we don’t have to go to Raleigh anymore to go eat or shopping. Rich Barta has been a true friend to the town. He’s presented a convenience for people here.”
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