From sleepy to surging: Wendell slated for new 1,900-home community
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- Brookfield will build 1,900-home Ponder on 480 acres along Highway 97.
- Project includes single-family and townhomes priced $300K to $900K.
- Presales start summer 2026; first homes and amenities complete late 2026.
A new 1,900-home community is coming to an undeveloped stretch along Highway 97 between Wendell and Zebulon in eastern Wake County.
In a nod to nature and simpler times, the 480-acre development, called Ponder, is designed around a central lake and the Little River, which runs alongside the property. Initial phases will include a mix of single-family homes and townhomes, ranging from two to four bedrooms.
Site work started this month, said Tanya Matzen, senior vice president at Brookfield Residential. Prices are expected to run from $300,000 to $900,000.
“It’s for a variety of buyers, from first-time homeowners to those looking to right-size,” Matzen said.
Homebuilders, including David Weekley Homes, Homes by Dickerson, Brookfield Residential and Garman Homes, have been selected, though they’re still in the “initial design phase,” she added.
For this once-sleepy corner of the Triangle, about 20 miles outside of Raleigh, it’s the latest in a string of projects and a continuation of its surging growth.
It’s also the third joint venture between Canada-based Brookfield Residential and North America Sekisui House LLC in the Triangle. The partners are behind Wendell Falls, a 4,000-home development about five miles west of Ponder off Wendell Falls Parkway; and Briar Chapel, a 2,400-home community in Chatham County.
To develop its latest project, Brookfield acquired the five-parcel property in April 2024 for $26 million, Triangle Business Journal reported. At the time, the firm said it decided to invest based on their success at Wendell Falls and “the increased demand for housing in this part of Wake County.”
Amenities will include pickleball courts, a pool, campsites, a kayak launch, a yoga lawn, a fire pit, a concert/gathering lawn with stage, bike racks and golf cart parking.
Would-be residents will also have access to a 5,300-square-foot “Ponder House” main building, with a 1,900-square-foot covered wraparound porch, fitness center and an outdoor fireplace. It’s expected to open as a “gathering room” for parties and private events.
Presales will start in the summer of 2026. First homes and all amenities will be complete in late 2026, the firm said.
Fast-growing satellite town
Settled in the 1850s by tobacco farmers, Wendell is one of the region’s fastest-growing towns, not only in Wake County, but in all of North Carolina.
As growth spills over from Raleigh, Wendell’s population grew to 14,400, from 2020 to 2023, Census data found. That’s up 46.5%.
Today, it’s closer to 17,300, according to World Population Review, growing at a rate of 9.27% annually.
In recent years, investors have poured millions into the town to meet demand.
Separately, Brookfield recently launched its next-to-last phase of Wendell Falls, releasing 169 lots on the west side of town, south of the Hwy. 264 bypass. It’s constructing townhomes and single-family homes ranging from 1,637 to 4,000 square feet with three and four bedrooms.
Like Ponder’s, prices start in the low $300,000s and go up to over $900,000, according to its website.
Around the corner, WakeMed opened its new 12,000-square-foot Wendell Healthplex in 2024. That same year, Wake Tech Community College launched a new 100-acre east campus to the north. And in early 2025, the town opened long-awaited Hollybrook Park at 1209 S. Hollybrook Road after acquiring the 19-acre site in 2020.
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 2:53 PM with the headline "From sleepy to surging: Wendell slated for new 1,900-home community."
