Construction Process Underway on Charlestown Crossing

By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer

North East, Md.—Charlestown Crossing, an apartment community that represents the first joint venture between The Dolben Company Inc. and Klein Enterprises, is on track for delivery of first units in April 2013, and completion of construction a year later.

The 332-unit apartment community on 20 acres in Cecil County, Md., is of a classic, three-story garden-style design. The property will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes distinguished by nine-foot ceilings, fully equipped kitchens, full-sized washers and dryers and private balconies and patios. Charlestown Crossing will feature 96 individual one-car garages, along with 575 surface parking spaces.

“Cecil County is seeing an influx of residents looking for apartment homes as a result of the growth at Aberdeen Proving Ground,” Andrew K. Dolben, senior vice president, development, tells MHN.

“Under [Base Realignment and Closure], many military and technology jobs have been relocated to APG from Fort Monmouth, N.J., and elsewhere. These workers are creating demand for luxury apartment homes.  Cecil County has few options for these new residents, and Charlestown Crossing will help fill that need.”

The property is set within the larger Charlestown Crossing PUD, a community of townhomes, single-family homes and future retail stores, he adds. This location will offer residents a prestigious address, as well as convenient access via Route 40 and Interstate Route 95 to employment centers in Maryland and Delaware.

Initial plans for the Charlestown Crossing PUD didn’t anticipate inclusion of rental housing, Dolben notes. But as a result of unforeseen demographic shifts in housing demand over the last half decade, a clear need for rental housing in the PUD emerged.

“Dolben identified this need, and agreed to acquire a portion of the land within the PUD for apartment development in 2010,” he reports.

“The re-zoning and planning process with Cecil County took over 18 months. Working hand in hand with the county staff, Dolben was able to create an attractive and well-designed community of 332 apartment homes, including amenities of a clubhouse, swimming pool and individual one-car garages. The design was coordinated with the single-family and townhouse architecture within the PUD for a cohesive fit into the fabric of the neighborhood.”

In addition to the amenities above, Charlestown Crossing residents will be able to pay their rent and submit service requests online through a resident portal designed to be accessible through computer or mobile device.

The arrival of Charlestown Crossing will do more than provide much-needed luxury rental housing in Cecil County, Dolben reports. It will also do much to add to the customer base of area merchants. Future residents of the community should help stimulate the overall vitality of the local business economy.

“We are pleased to be moving forward with Charlestown Crossing,” he observes. “Klein Enterprises is like minded in both outlook and culture, and we see our partnership as a positive avenue for growth and increased market share in the Mid-Atlantic region.”