When Cary announced that its longtime Citizen’s Convenience Center would permanently close at the end of 2026, many residents voiced their disappointment.
According to Councilmember Lori Bush, the Cary facility sees roughly 250 visitors per day, or about 90,000 visits per year. Cary is the only municipality in Wake County that operates its own convenience center rather than relying entirely on the county’s network of disposal sites.
For nearby residents, this was a nice option for when your bins were filling up too quickly before pickup day. But there were two features that are fairly unique to this location, and they will get to stay.
During an August 27 Town Council work session, Cary staff unveiled a new layout that will allow the town to continue accepting both yard waste and food waste at the Dixon Avenue site after the rest of the Convenience Center shuts down.
The project is currently on schedule and within its $525,000 budget, with construction expected to be substantially complete by mid-December, before the rest of the facility shuts down.
And for residents who use Cary’s food waste composting program, access is actually expected to improve.
Why the Convenience Center is closing
A significant portion of the existing operation sits inside the North Carolina Railroad right-of-way rather than entirely on property owned by Cary.
According to the town, the site dates to around 1953. It was noted during Thursday’s meeting that Cary has effectively been allowed to use portions of the railroad right-of-way for decades without paying rent.
That arrangement is now coming to an end.
In September 2025, the North Carolina Railroad informed Cary that it intended to make full use of its right-of-way. The railroad has federally funded improvements planned along the corridor, requiring Cary to move its operations out of the affected area.
The issue was presented to Town Council in November 2025. Cary subsequently hired a design team to develop options for what could remain at the site.
Cary chose to keep two services
Instead of abandoning the Dixon Avenue property altogether, Cary will redesign the remaining town-owned portion of the site to preserve two services: yard waste disposal and food waste composting.
Council appropriated $525,000 for the project, in addition to $40,000 previously spent studying the site and developing the options.
The new layout pulls public operations completely out of the railroad right-of-way and onto Cary-owned land.
Visitors will enter through the existing area, where new pavement markings will turn the current cul-de-sac into something resembling a small roundabout. A new two-lane section of roadway will lead toward a second cul-de-sac where residents can unload yard waste, while a separate single lane will provide an exit.
New gates and fencing will separate public areas from other Cary operations that will continue on the property.
Staff told council Thursday that the redesigned facility remains within the scope approved in April, is on schedule and is currently within budget. No additional funding was requested.
Trash ends. Yard waste does not.
December 30th of 2026 is the official last day of the convenience center, but yard waste disposal is expected to continue at the site without an interruption.
That includes the limbs, brush, grass clippings and other residential landscaping debris residents currently bring to Dixon Avenue.
Staff said construction may occasionally require residents to use a different portion of the property while work is underway, but access to yard and food waste disposal is expected to remain available throughout construction.
Food waste is becoming a 24-hour service
The biggest improvement is for Cary residents who compost their food scraps.
The food waste collection structure will be relocated to the southeast portion of the town-owned property, outside the gated yard waste area. Once moved, Cary plans to make the food waste drop-off available 24 hours a day.
Cary began collecting food waste in 2022. Scraps are collected both here and Mills Park.
Staff said the unattended Mills Park site has generally worked well. Although some non-compostable material occasionally makes its way into the collection, contamination has not been a major issue, and Cary’s contractor can separate unwanted material.
Town staff also said food waste tonnage has continued to increase and expects participation at Dixon Avenue to grow once residents are no longer limited to the Convenience Center’s staffed operating hours.
Where should you go now?
266 Aviation Parkway in Morrisville, otherwise known as Convenience Center Site 3, is the obvious option. It is less than 5 miles away from the Cary Convenience Center, about a 10 minute drive. They are also currently expanding that site, but it will remain open while changes are happening.
You will need to show proof of residency. They are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily.
If you live in the Chatham County part of Cary, you probably weren’t using this site. But just in case, here are your options.
What happens next
Construction on the redesigned portion of the Dixon Avenue site is expected to be completed around mid-December.
Cary must stop operating inside the North Carolina Railroad right-of-way by the end of the calendar year, then remove remaining town structures from that right-of-way by March 1, 2027.
Staff told council the project is currently on track to meet both deadlines.
Until the transition, residents should still be able to use the Convenience Center as they do today. The facility currently accepts residential solid waste, recycling, food waste and yard waste and is generally open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM Sunday.