Crescent Opens Master-Planned Project
The 1,200-acre development comprises a mix of living arrangements and commercial space.
Rendering courtesy of Crescent Communities
Developer Crescent Communities has officially opened The River District, a 1,200-acre master-planned project in Charlotte, N.C. David Weekley Homes, DRB Homes, Saussy Burbank, and Toll Brothers served as the four homebuilders that contributed to the megadevelopment.
The River District comprises single-family homes, rental units, restaurants, commercial buildings, parks and trails. The development broke ground more than a decade ago and was awarded the One Planet Living Leader designation in April. It is the third project nationwide to receive it and the first in the Southeast.
River District is located near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 10 miles west of downtown. The development is positioned on the bank of the Catawba River. It is designed to have more than 260 lots for up to 2,300 single-family homes and 2,350 apartments for rent—some to serve as mixed-income housing.
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The community comprises several areas, as well as commercial districts, each at different stages of development. Some of the residential areas in the River District are Westrow—the 70-acre town center that includes NOVEL River District and Forge Village—Eastrow, Basswood, River Point, River North and Windward.
River District welcomed its first residents last month, to one of the David Weekley-designed single-family homes located in Westrow. When Crescent Communities broke ground on the development in April 2023—which constituted the first phase in the entire undertaking—River District was planned to be less than half its current size.
The neighborhood also includes both finalized homes for sale and parts that are under construction, such as Forge Village, which will feature a working farm, playgrounds, lawn pavilion for events and café. Alongside Forge Village, Westrow also encloses the 318-unit multifamily development NOVEL River District, the first phase of the town center.
Crescent Communities also closed on a second set of 140 single-family home sites earlier this month, in the Basswood neighborhood. Construction on the second set of residencies is scheduled to begin later this year.
BTR & intentional shared living
Crescent Communities’ $7.2 billion portfolio features residential and commercial projects both completed and under construction, amounting to 15,300 multifamily units, single-family homes and build-to-rent developments.
In a recent interview with Multi-Housing News, Crescent Communities’ Senior Managing Director Tony Chen revealed that build-to-rent communities have to go beyond quality interiors, high-end finishes and well-designed layouts in order to distinguish themselves in the market. While multifamily developments bring forward the idea of shared living, today’s BTR projects combine private home features with gathering spaces in order to create a sense of community.
