Holly Springs' splashy downtown development is ready to open

When I first visited the Holly Springs downtown merchants district in April, the expansive two-level Town Hall Commons commercial and retail development (including a two-level parking garage) across West Ballentine Street from Town Hall was under construction.

When I returned Saturday for the weekly farmers market and to check on the development's progress, Town Hall Commons looked like it was close to completion. Indeed, one tenant -- the eatery Osha Thai Kitchen and Sushi -- had already opened.

Frankly, the rest of the space still looked like more than a couple weeks away from being ready. But ... a sign near the farmers market indicated that Town Hall Commons would hold an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 30.

In the photo leading off the post, the development is seen from its south end, with the tip of the Town Hall dome visible in the distance on the far right. The first photo below is the development from the north end looking south. Below that is a picture I took of the development from the same point in April.

As always, to view a larger, sharper version of a photo, simply click on the image. This is particularly helpful if you access the blog on a mobile device. To view a full gallery of Saturday's shoot of the updated Town Hall Commons, follow the link in this sentence.

Photo geek stuff: All photos in this post were taken with my Canon 6D and Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD lens equipped with a polarizing filter. I bracketed all compositions for three exposures to allow for melding later in post-processing using Photomatix high-dynamic range (HDR) software.

Above and next three below: The north corner of Town Hall Commons, where Osha Thai Kitchen and Sushi has opened and is doing business right now. The north end has a fountain close to the pedestrian paths at Ballentine and Main streets.

The development full north facade (above) along Ballentine Street, which includes Osha Thai Kitchen and Sushi and the fountain. Town Hall is immediately behind me in this photo. The two shots immediately below are different looks at the corner section.   

Above: This shot looking at the north end of Town Hall Commons gives you an idea of the proximity of Town Hall to the development. They are right across Ballentine Street from each other. 

Above: The sign of Family Focus Chiropractic, above a small lower-floor opening to the building's backside, is right around the mid-point of the block-long development.  

Above: These pergola-like beams add character to the structure's south facade, where there is an access drive to the parking lot (first photo below), where if you look hard enough, you can make out a boy on a skateboard just to the right of the drive in the distance. The second and third photos below provide a look at the upper and lower levels of the parking garage.