A decade after bumpy start, Wendell Falls is almost built out. Take a look
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wendell Falls enters final phase with 121 26-foot home sites offered.
- Brookfield manages development; 80%+ of 4,000 homes built or underway.
- Wendell population surged 71% to 16,845 (2024); town adds health, education, parks.
Ten years after its shaky debut, one of Wake County’s largest master-planned communities is closing in on full build-out.
Brookfield Residential Properties has launched the final phase of Wendell Falls, a 1,100-acre development on the west side of town, off of I-87. It sits along the eastern edge of the Triangle, about 15 miles east of downtown Raleigh.
It’s offering 121 single-family home sites off Wendell Valley Boulevard — all of which are 26 feet wide.
That’s about the width of a standard two-car garage.
Its target audience: “first-time homebuyers or homeowners looking to downsize,” the firm said.
The developer has partnered with Raleigh-based Garman Homes, offering houses of around 1,637 square feet with three bedrooms.
Prices start in the mid $300,000s.
A selection of single-family homes and townhomes are also for sale from earlier phases, including 26-foot to 55-foot home sites. Prices start in the mid $300,000s and go up to the $900,000s.
“As we enter our final phase, we’re proud to offer homebuyers one last opportunity to join this community,” said Tanya Matzen, senior vice president at Brookfield Residential.
Wendell Falls opened in 2015 after a rocky start. The original developer was foreclosed upon, and the project was owned by Wells Fargo for several years before Newland Communities paid $34 million to acquire the property in 2013, The N&O previously reported.
Brookfield acquired Newland and the development in 2021.
To date, more than 80% of the 4,000 total new homes are being built or are now occupied, the firm said.
The community includes nearly 273 acres of preserved open space, 10 miles of trails, parks and playgrounds, pools and waterparks, outdoor fit pods, fitness center, The Farmhouse Café, and Treelight Square, a retail and dining venue.
The subdivision is a joint venture partnership between North America Sekisui House LLC and Brookfield Residential, which also manages the development.
Fast-growing satellite town
Settled in the 1850s by tobacco farmers, the once-sleepy 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 16,845 from 2020 to 2024, Census data found. That’s up 71.2%.
Local officials are rushing to meet demand.
In 2024, WakeMed opened its new 12,000-square-foot Wendell Healthplex. That same year, Wake Tech Community College launched a new 100-acre east campus on 106 acres off Rolesville Road at I‑87.
And in 2025, the town opened the long-awaited Hollybrook Park at 1209 S. Hollybrook Road after acquiring the 19-acre site in 2020.
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 6:15 AM with the headline "A decade after bumpy start, Wendell Falls is almost built out. Take a look."
