The first phase of the Rockway development in Raleigh, North Carolina, opened its doors in early 2025, establishing a tone-setting design for a larger mixed-use development that has been touted for its potential to reshape the city's southern gateway.
The Row is a 335-unit, seven-story apartment building located across from Dorothea Dix Park and adjacent to the Rocky Branch Trail. Designed by ISG, formerly known as JDavis Architects, the $120 million, hospitality-inspired development incorporates first-of-its-kind retailers along Raleigh's Rocky Branch Trail and at the entrance to Dix Park. According to the developers, The Row exemplifies the future of mixed-use development in Raleigh by delivering dense, walkable, design-forward housing at the edge of the city's largest public park while supporting a vibrant mix of local retail.
In recognition of its overall impact, the project earned a CoStar Impact Award for multifamily development of the year in Raleigh-Durham, as judged by an independent panel of local industry professionals.
About the project: The Row marks the inaugural phase of Rockway, Kane Realty's multiphase, mixed-use development that, at full build-out, is expected to include more than 800 apartments and nearly 25,000 square feet of retail space.
Located at 1021 S. Saunders St., The Row property incorporates market-leading amenities, including a 3,000-square-foot fitness center, a saltwater pool and sundeck and a rooftop indoor-outdoor lounge overlooking Dix Park, while providing walkability and outdoor activation through widened sidewalks, retail patios along the Greenway and street-level entrances. It also features large-scale commissioned murals that celebrate Raleigh's natural flora.
The new building has resonated with area renters, as The Row was 72% leased and 70% occupied within 10 months of opening.
The project also supports a mix of local retail. Between 2024 and 2025, Kane Realty disclosed it reached deals with four local retail partners to help fill the project's 17,600 square feet of ground-floor retail and flex space. These include BK Pilates, a boutique reformer-based Pilates studio opening its first Triangle location; Benchwarmers Bagels, which opened its first stand-alone Raleigh location with an expanded food and beverage program; Campo Taco Co., a family-owned restaurant serving Mexican cuisine with a lively bar and large patio; and Sunflowers Cafe, a longtime Raleigh institution set to reopen at Rockway in 2026 with a refreshed concept and full bar.
What the judges said: "The Row at Rockway powerfully reinforces the growth, momentum and long-term viability of downtown Raleigh," said Ginny Hager, a leasing representative at Highwoods Properties. "This project displays a clear demand for high-quality, nature-connected urban living, and signals continued investor confidence in downtown Raleigh as a thriving, design-forward, mixed-use destination."
"Its tone-setting design for the coming development in the Dix Park area is crucial to the success of the area early in this transformation process," added Brett Cox, a senior research analyst with JLL.
"The retail they have been able to attract below the residential has been very impactful as well," noted Ross Diachenko, senior vice president at Foundry Commercial.
They made it happen: John Kane, founder and chairman; Mike Smith, CEO; T.J. Barringer, president and chief investment officer; Warner Kuppin, chief development officer; Greg Kuruc, managing director of development; Steve Brown, senior vice president and director of retail leasing; Luke Stup, development manager; and Mike Massey, senior construction manager, at Kane Realty; Laurent de Comarmond, business unit executive at ISG; Tim Carter, civil engineer at Kimley Horn; and David Bascom, construction manager at Samet Corp.