Ronnie Currin, Mayor, Town of Rolesville

Invest: sat down with Rolesville Mayor Ronnie Currin to discuss how the town is managing rapid growth, expanding its commercial base, and investing in public infrastructure. “Our tax base is not going to be sustainable unless we get commercial,” Currin said.

What changes over the past year have most impacted Rolesville, and how has that shaped your priorities as mayor?

Over the past 18 to 24 months, the biggest impact to the town has been the revitalization of Main Street. It is about a $23 million project covering 1.6 miles, and it has been impactful, especially for our downtown merchants. With road construction right up to front doors, it made egress, parking, and handicap accessibility difficult. We also had issues with waterlines and other infrastructure that had to be relocated and replaced.

That has probably been the most significant factor affecting the town because it is right in the middle of everything. 

The bright side is that we are in the final stages. That is exciting because the results are going to be good. It has opened the avenue for a lot of new businesses along that 1.6-mile stretch.

We are also growing steadily. We probably get close to 500 new people a year. The new people coming in did not see the disruption, just the results, and they appreciate them.

How would you describe Rolesville’s stage of growth within the Triangle, and what is driving that momentum?

We are part of Wake County, which is one of the fastest-growing counties and the largest county in the state. Just being part of that stimulates growth here. We have been growing strongly for the last 15 years. Before that, we were more of a little suburban community.

Now, we are trying to get more commercial development. Because we are so close to other major towns, including Wake Forest, Raleigh, and the whole Triangle area, a lot is already within a 10- or 15-minute drive. That has made it difficult for us to attract commercial development. So one of our priorities is to change that tax base mix between residential and commercial.

Residential is easy to come by because a lot of people want to live here. The harder part is getting the commercial side to come along with it. That is where a lot of our focus is right now.

What strategies are in place to manage growth while preserving the town’s identity?

One of the major strategies we have is centered on our tax base ratio. Right now, our residential and commercial split is about 91 to 9, and we are trying to get closer to 80-20. That would be a good number for us, but it is difficult because residential growth is happening tremendously fast.

A big part of the strategy is promoting more mixed-use development. If someone wants to put in residential, we want them to put in commercial as well. One of our themes is to be a walkable community. When businesses are closer to where people live, it creates that kind of environment.

We are working on having commercial spaces in all areas of town, not just one location. We want it throughout the community. We have approved a couple of mixed-use projects in the last four or five years, and those have become the benchmark for what we are looking for. We have neighborhood mixed use, activity center mixed use, and town center mixed use, depending on the size and intensity of the project.

That is the message we are sending. If you want to bring residential into town, then what can you offer in commercial at the same time? Our tax base is not going to be sustainable unless we get commercial development.

What initiatives are helping improve quality of life as the town grows?

One of the things people want is more places to eat. We have quite a few restaurants already, as we get a lot of chain-type places, but many residents want more formal restaurants, places where you can have a nice, quiet meal and take somebody out. We are working hard to bring in more of that because those do not come as easily as the chains do.

We are also trying to keep our charm. We are a small town. We do not have an interstate going through town or a major four-lane corridor, so we try to keep density at a level that promotes business without creating too much congestion. That is a fine balance.

We are also trying to bring in things we do not yet have. For example, we are working with our chamber to bring in a hotel so people visiting for ballgames or family events have a place to stay in town. That takes effort because we do not have the kind of highway draw that makes those projects automatic.

How are you approaching economic development and local job creation?

We have an economic development manager, and we have become big enough over the last four or five years to have someone focused on that full time. He works hard day to day on bringing new things into town. We recently completed a Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map where we identified areas in town for future commercial development.

We are also working on an incentive program. We do not have an official program now, so we are trying to create something formal that can be used when talking with business owners and developers. We also want to become more commercial-friendly when it comes to building. That means streamlining some of the building processes for commercial projects, cutting out delays where we can, and making it easier to move faster.

Wake County has a lot of rules, including environmental rules, and commercial developers have to go through a lot. We are trying to make that process as smooth as possible. If we want commercial development, we need to do that.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for sustainable growth over the next few years?

The biggest priority is still improving the mix between commercial and residential tax revenue. If we are going to stay sustainable, our tax base needs to have a greater commercial side in the mix.

We also focus a lot on our people. We put a lot of emphasis on our senior citizens and veterans. We have a large veteran community; percentage-wise, Rolesville may have one of the largest veteran populations in the county. We try to create programs and opportunities for those groups to engage and participate in town life.

We are also investing in public infrastructure. Our staff has grown from five or six people when I first got involved with the town to almost 100 people now, and we do not really have facilities for that. We have a town campus plan coming up that will be a major investment for us. That includes public safety and civic infrastructure, a new fire station and police station by 2028, a Wake County public library in 2029, a town hall around 2030, and eventually a new community center that will likely include a senior center.

We are investing in parks as well. We have 116 acres planned for a large farm park, and by 2028, we hope to have soccer fields, parking lots, community buildings, a pavilion, and a mix of recreational and natural areas there.

If you add those things together, close to $75 million will be invested in the town over the next five or six years. We believe in our town, and we are putting a tremendous amount into it ourselves. My hope is that others will see that and recognize that Rolesville is a good investment for them, too.