Crescent Communities Celebrates Major Phase in The River District Development with New West Boulevard Corridor
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – (Sept. 24, 2024): Crescent Communities, a nationally recognized market-leading real estate investor, developer, and operator of mixed-use communities, today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open its expansion of West Boulevard into The River District, marking a major milestone as the 1,400-acre master-planned community in West Charlotte comes to life. The event featured remarks from Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles; Rainer Ficken, Crescent Communities’ senior managing director of The River District; and Brendan Pierce, Crescent Communities’ president of commercial and The River District, as they unveiled this new corridor and gave Charlotteans their first official glance at this transformative development.
The new four-lane West Boulevard expansion, developed in partnership with the City of Charlotte, will serve as a gateway to The River District and is a testament to the community’s overarching commitment to walkability, environmental sustainability, and fostering an active lifestyle. Unique in the Charlotte region, the boulevard-style corridor boasts dedicated pedestrian and bike lanes, encouraging safe and accessible transportation options for everyone using various modes of transportation.
“Charlotte has recognized the growing need for more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods to enhance health, provide environmental benefits, and improve accessibility for all, and Crescent Communities in partnership with the City of Charlotte are working together to make the Queen City a more walkable metro,” said Ficken. “This opening of the West Boulevard expansion is setting the stage for all the exciting developments to come, especially The River District’s commitment to weaving active lifestyle amenities into the everyday lives of both residents and visitors. The completion of this extension creates improved access, supports growth for the area, and is a testament to our collaboration with the city to build more connected communities.”
The City of Charlotte has played a key role in the development of The River District, investing in much needed high-quality regional infrastructure such as water, sewer, and roads – including the West Boulevard extension.
“The West Boulevard expansion – and the River District as a whole – is a sterling example of the City of Charlotte's commitment to public-private partnerships that foster sustainable growth and enhance the quality of life for all residents,” said Lyles. “As The River District continues to evolve, it will bring new opportunities and energy to an area poised for growth, offering a vibrant, connected, and resilient lifestyle for generations of Charlotteans to come.”
Today’s opening of the West Boulevard extension comes on the heels of the announcement of The River District’s first-phase single-family homebuilders. David Weekley Homes, DRB Homes, Saussy Burbank, and Toll Brothers were selected to construct over 260 lots of single-family homes in Westrow, the development’s neighborhood town center, with The River District ultimately featuring 2,300 single-family homes. The River District will also include up to 2,350 multifamily residential units, with a portion dedicated to mixed-income housing in partnership with local developer Laurel Street Residential. Crescent Communities has also broken ground on NOVEL River District, a 318-unit multifamily development under its Class-A NOVEL brand which will feature world-class amenities, residential programming, and sleek and modern design.
In addition to single-family homes and multifamily residential units, The River District will offer a robust mix of commercial retail and office spaces, particularly in its Eastrow neighborhood lifestyle center. Businesses that invest in these spaces will benefit from the area's unmatched connectivity, access to a talented workforce, and premium amenities, all within a thoughtfully designed, pedestrian-friendly environment.
Featuring a thoughtful development process guided by environmental sustainability, The River District is planned to include 5,000 single-family homes and market rate and affordable multi-family housing units; up to 8 million square feet of commercial space; 500,000 square feet of retail space; and preserved land. Nestled between the banks of the Catawba River and Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, The River District will integrate the primary components of urban life – a connected network of homes, retail shops, restaurants, office buildings, schools, and public spaces – with the allure of the parks, trails, forests, river access, and open spaces abound in nature. The development recently obtained the prestigious One Planet Living designation, making it the first community in the Southeast to implement this ambitious, holistic, and forward forward-looking framework that supports circularity, responsible transit, health, and a reduced carbon footprint.
Key partners on the West Boulevard project include the City of Charlotte, LandDesign, and Blythe Development Company.
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About Crescent Communities:
Crescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer, and operator of mixed-use "communities." We create high-quality, differentiated multifamily and commercial communities in many of the fastest growing markets in the United States. Since 1963, our development portfolio has included more than 86 multifamily communities and 25 million square feet of commercial space. Crescent Communities has offices in Charlotte, D.C., Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix. Our multifamily communities are branded NOVEL, RENDER, and HARMON by Crescent Communities, our industrial developments are branded AXIAL by Crescent Communities, and our life science developments are branded THE YIELD by Crescent Communities.
