"It's been bad. It's been real bad."

Hue Delgado runs a barbershop in downtown Apex. He told WRAL in September that he's seen people hold off on coming downtown since crews started working on North Salem Street. A few blocks away at Salem Street Pub, front of house manager Skylar Gnann told The News & Observer that November and December are the pub's busiest months of the year, because downtown events bring people in.

Put those two quotes together and you get the real story of downtown Apex this fall. The Salem Streetscape project was supposed to wrap up in October. Now the town expects the street to reopen in mid-December. So the street won't be back to normal until after the busiest stretch of the downtown year has started. If you've been skipping Salem Street until the barriers come down, that wait now runs through the weeks that count most for the shops and restaurants on it.

The good news is that the block is easier to use than it looks from the car window.

What the Block Between Saunders and Chatham Looks Like Right Now

The $4.7 million project covers North Salem Street between Saunders Street and Chatham Street. It adds wider paver sidewalks, street trees, decorative and string lighting, street furniture, wayfinding, planter boxes and staggered parking. The goal is a downtown built more around walking and outdoor dining. Work began in January, and the town is now in Phase 2.

Here's where things stood in the town's Sept. 1 update, which is the most recent official status we found:

If you ride the bus, GoApex Route 1 has been on a construction detour since Jan. 27. Nine regular stops are skipped and temporary stops fill in. The town expects the detour to last until late 2026.

The town manager sums up the town's position in one line. "The sidewalks are open, the road is open for traffic flow. We've got plenty of parking," Randy Vosburg told Indy Week in July.

Why October Turned Into December

The first slip came in spring. In April, WRAL reported that work had stopped for a few weeks while the design was changed to fix electrical issues. At the time, Mayor Jacques Gilbert said the project was still on track to finish in October, with two-way traffic coming back then.

By September, Apex Transportation Engineering Manager Amir Nezarati gave The News & Observer more detail on the electrical and lighting revisions. They included moving where the power infrastructure goes, working around the new street trees, and adding electrical capacity for future improvements. That last item means the delay is also wiring the street for things that haven't been built yet.

The official finish date depends on which source you read:

• The town's Sept. 1 update lists the construction contract as running January through December 2026.
• The town told The News & Observer the road should reopen in mid-December, with final cleanup and punch-list work running into mid-January.
• In July, Indy Week reported a possible finish anywhere from November to January 2027.

We found no newer town update since early September. For now, treat mid-December as the target, not a promise.

The Months the Schedule Landed On

The businesses on this block have been tracking the hit since spring. In April, Anna's Pizzeria manager Steven Perticona told WRAL the restaurant was down "anywhere from 10 to 20%" and had cut staff hours. Salem Street Pub has temporarily lost the eight outdoor tables in front of it.

"We don't have lunch crowds anymore." Skylar Gnann, Salem Street Pub, to The News & Observer

There's also a hopeful data point. Virtuoso Jewels told WRAL its business picked back up once construction moved to the other side of the street. So the slowdown follows the work. When a storefront has finished pavement in front of it, people come back. The east side has been finished since mid-July.

The town has put money behind this. On Aug. 11, the Apex Town Council voted 5–0 to spend up to $25,000 promoting downtown businesses during construction, through January 2027. Councilmember Shane Reese made the motion and Councilmember Ed Gray seconded it. The meeting recap describes about $5,000 a month starting in September. The town has also asked people to buy gift cards, visit downtown shops and restaurants, and spread the word that they're still open.

Fall Dates That Bring You Back to Salem

The fall calendar gives you a few easy reasons to come downtown before the street reopens.

Apex Oktoberfest, Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It's at Apex Town Hall, 73 Hunter Street, with food, a beer garden, music and dancing, games and a kids' zone. Town Hall sits off the construction zone, so it's an easy start before a walk over to Salem.

Fall Harvest Night, Friday, Oct. 16, 5 to 8 p.m. It's in The Depot parking lot at 220 N. Salem St., with local vendors, live music and deals from downtown businesses. It's part of Love Local, which the town runs through its economic development office.

Jazz & Jive Night, Friday, Nov. 20, 5 to 8 p.m. It's the second night in the Love Local Fall into Downtown series. It also falls in the weeks Gnann named as Salem Street Pub's busiest.

For something quick, Groovy Duck Bakery opened July 9 at 101 N. Salem Street. It's a walk-up bakery and coffee counter with no indoor seating, so you don't need a parking plan to grab a pastry. It opened mid-construction, which is a good sign of how much faith operators have in this street once it's finished. Over on East Williams Street, Legacy Rolls is getting its second location ready in the former Yamato building at 700 E. Williams St. The owners had planned a soft opening by the end of October. In late September, co-founder Jerry Canada told BizFayetteville the team was still finishing equipment and furnishings and hoped to open "within the next month, month and a half," so we don't have a firm date yet.

If you followed our summer roundup of what's new in downtown Apex, these fall nights build on the same short walk around Salem, Williams and Chatham, just with one lane of traffic and a narrower west-side sidewalk.

The Parade Comes Before the Street Is Done

The date to circle is Dec. 5. The Apex Rotary Club Christmas Parade starts at 5 p.m. at Ambergate Station and The Peakway, heads down Salem Street, turns onto Moore Street, and ends at the Apex Public Works buildings on Upchurch Street.

That's about ten days before the mid-December reopening target. Back in June, WRAL reported organizers were weighing several options: the usual route with float limits, a modified route, a different route, or a stationary parade. The Rotary page still lists the Salem Street route. The club's registration page sets a limit for this year. Because of roadway limitations downtown, every entry is capped at 9 feet wide, measured mirror to mirror on a vehicle or at the widest point of a trailer, and anything wider will be turned away. For comparison, the page puts a standard mid-size pickup at about 6 feet 8 inches wide. We haven't found any route change. If your family has a favorite curb spot on Salem, check the Rotary Club's page again before Dec. 5.

Here's how the next ten weeks line up. Oktoberfest and Fall Harvest Night in mid-October. Jazz & Jive Night in late November. The parade on Dec. 5 with the street still under construction. Then, if the town's target holds, two-way traffic on North Salem around mid-December, after more than eleven months of one-way traffic.

I'd love to see you on Salem Street this fall! If you're wondering how the finished streetscape might change life near downtown Apex, or you just want a coffee from Groovy Duck and a walk down the finished east side, I've got your back. Reach out to Britney Kensmoe and Let's Connect.