New Trails at Umstead, HGTV Couple's Cary HQ & Gourmet Toast Arrives | Good Morning Wake County - Good News

Wake County approves mountain bike trails at Umstead and construction of Kellam-Wyatt County Park, HGTV's Jason Byrd and Jenny Mahorney build their dream headquarters in Cary, and Toastique gourmet toast cafe opens Saturday in Midtown Raleigh. Your daily dose of good news from Wake County with Steve Rhode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Wake County approves trails at Umstead & Kellam-Wyatt Park: https://hoodline.com/2025/10/wake-county-approves-new-trails-at-umstead-greenlights-kellam-wyatt-county-park-development-near-raleigh/
• Behind the Scenes Design builds Cary headquarters: https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2025/10/22/behind-the-scenes-design-cary-office-remodeling.html
• Toastique opens in Midtown Raleigh: https://trianglefoodblog.com/

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Outdoor rec getting a huge boostand HGTV couple building their
dream office and Cary and Gourmet toast coming to midtown
Raleigh. I'm Steve Road and here's your
good morning. Good news.
Hey, Wake County, it's good to have you back.
Let's get into it and stick around.
I got a dad joke for you at the end.
It's safe for the kiddos and thecars.

(00:21):
All right, so Wake County just did something pretty cool.
They approved two major outdoor projects in one meeting, and
here's why that matters. When those Lake Crabtree trails
closed earlier this year, a lot of mountain bikers lost their
favorite spot. Well, the county just fixed
that. They're leasing 252 acres of

(00:43):
Olmsted State Park for new mountain bike trails.
It's right next to trails they already manage, so it'll all
connect. And the best part?
The lease costs $1.00 a year. Just one dollar.
But that's not all. In the same meeting, they also

(01:03):
approved a nine and a half million dollar construction
contract to build Kellum Wyatt County Park, a brand new 59 acre
park near Raleigh Knightdale border.
This one's special because the Kellum Wyatt family donated the
land back in 2018, but they had one request, preserve its
agricultural and natural heritage.

(01:26):
So the county's doing exactly that.
The park will have community gardens, walking trails, or
renovated old farmhouse that'll become the park center and even
a nature playground. Construction starts later this
year, and it should be done by winter 2027.
I mean, it's pretty cool to see Wake County investing in green
space that actually protects thecharacter of what was there

(01:49):
before. Hey, Speaking of people
investing in local spots, you know those HGTV couples who make
you jealous of everyone else's house?
Well, two of them are right hereand they're finally building
their own dream space. Jason Bird and Jenny Maroney
from Behind the Scenes Design spent years working on HGT VS

(02:12):
Love It or List It. Jason was the project manager
and Jenny was the in house designer.
They met on the show, launched their own remodeling company in
2017, and now they're building acustom headquarters right here
in Cary. Here's what I love about this.
They picked a spot at Chatham St. and High House Rd. right

(02:32):
near downtown Cary, specificallybecause most of their clients
are in Raleigh and Durham, so they're setting up shop right
between the two cities. Makes total sense, right?
The office will be 2500 square feet with natural light, open
collaboration space, 8 individual offices.
And this is important, all right?
It's dog friendly and they're also building a separate 2400

(02:56):
square foot building, a storage building for all their
remodeling materials. They're doing a lot of the work
themselves, so they're keeping costs down and they're aiming to
move in by next May. Local businesses growing and
investing right in our own community.
Hey, that's always a good sign. Hey, and last thing, if you're
into gourmet toast, I didn't know it was the thing, but

(03:19):
apparently it's a trend. It's coming to Midtown Raleigh
Toast Teak opens this Saturday, October 18th at the Exchange and
North Hills. Now before you roll your eyes at
gourmet toast, hear me out. They're doing creative stuff.
Fresh toppings, smoothie bowls, cold pressed juices, and
responsibly sourced ingredients.It's more than just expensive

(03:42):
bread made really hot and dry. And honestly, if people are
willing to wait in line for avocado toast, maybe might as
well have a good version of it, right?
This will be their second North Carolina location.
Charlotte already has 1, so if you're curious, check it out
Saturday. Oh, and before I let you go,
here's your dad joke. What do you call a Frenchman

(04:03):
wearing sandals? Philippe Philop.
You're welcome. If you want more on any of these
stories, check the episode description.
I've got the links to everythingright in there.
And hey, if you're enjoying this, be sure to follow the
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And while you're there, leave a five star review.

(04:25):
It really helps more people findgood news.
All right, that's what I've got for you today.
Good things happening around here.
Until next time, see ya.