A riverside town is emerging in west Charlotte
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Now that the first residents are living in the River District, the master developer is gearing up for the next big phases: a corporate campus, hotel, shopping centers and a riverfront park.
Why it matters: The River District is tucked away in an area of Charlotte that many have probably never come across, as the 1,400 acres have long been undeveloped. But it could soon become a popular destination.
The big picture: Plans call for up to 8 million square feet of commercial space, 500,000 square feet of retail, 2,350 multi-family units, and 2,300 single-family homes.
The latest: Dirt has moved quickly in "Westrow," the River District's first 70-acre phase with 129 single-family homes, 318 market-rate apartments and 87 mixed-income units.
- Within Westrow, "Forge Village" is taking shape. It features a now-open playground and will include a 2-acre working farm, a lawn pavilion, and a building with a cafe and store selling the produce.
- Developer New Regional Planning is working on a roughly 28,000-square-foot, two-story retail building that'll house mostly local shops (think a dry cleaner or pizza parlor).
What's next: Crescent Communities is in talks with a potential hotel brand as well as office tenants about filling a planned corporate campus with three- to four-story buildings.
- The River District has had some interest from European companies looking to start a U.S. location, Rainer Ficken, The River District's senior managing director, tells me.
- This year, Crescent Communities is aiming to bring on a lifestyle developer for "Eastrow," a Waverly-like retail center to open within the next several years, with a grocery store and semi-regional brands.
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will build a K-8 school to replace the nearby Berryhill Elementary. Ficken expects it to open in the next couple of years.
- Construction has started on the next residential neighborhoods, called Basswood and River Point. Crescent Communities is working with four builders on single-family homes — David Weekley Homes, DRB Homes, Saussy Burbank and Toll Brothers — that will range in price.
- A Riverfront Park will eventually open with a pavilion and floating docks to launch paddleboards, kayaks and canoes.
- "The Canopy" is another amenity space underway that will have a community pool with lap lanes, a fitness center, sports courts, a dog park, and a rental event space.
The intrigue: The River District's theme is blending urban living with nature. Each neighborhood will have a trailhead, and you'll be able to reach every section of the community through those paths.
- It's a 20-minute drive to Uptown and close enough to the international airport to see (but not hear) the airplanes taking off.
Here's a rough look at the past and future timeline of The River District:
- 2016: After years of stalled development discussions, Crescent Communities reveals its proposal for The River District.
- 2022-2024: Crescent breaks ground on roads, utilities and other infrastructure.
- 2024: An expansion of West Boulevard into The River District opens in September, and the first vertical construction starts on the NOVEL apartment complex.
- 2025: The first single-family houses are built, and the first homeowner, a Lowe's project manager named Brian Olms, closes on Aug. 14. Olms is "an avid marathon runner and paddleboarder" who was looking to downsize, Crescent Communities says.
- Dash In is named in December as the site's first retail tenant, and Crescent Communities says this marks "the beginning of commercial development at the I-485/West Boulevard gateway."
- 2026: The first apartments open in January.
- Laurel Street Residential is expected to begin construction later this year on 87 mixed-income multi-family units, with an anticipated completion in 2027.
