STEELE CREEK NEWS

Four Major Residential Projects Planned for Steele Creek

(January 9, 2003) Steele Creek has seen significant residential and commercial development in recent years and more is coming, including four large developments that could add more than 8,000 residences to the area. This is almost as much as the total number of housing units in Steele Creek from the 2000 census. Click on the map to the right to see a larger map showing the project locations.

Ayrsley

Dirt is on the move in Ayrsley, an "urban village" west of South Tryon Street between I-485 and Westinghouse Boulevard. The 129-acre mixed use development is expected to include  office space, 2 hotels, more retail space than Phillips Place, a multi-screen movie theater complex, and 1,605 residences. Additionally, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte recently announced plans to open a branch at Ayrsley.

Ayrsley will follow a smart growth or urban village concept, with apartments above stores and offices next to restaurants, rather than the traditional practice of segregating offices, shopping, and residences. The pedestrian friendly development will include small parks, a town center, and a greenway to encourage getting around by foot rather than cars. Residences will be townhouses, lofts, and low-rise apartments. Development will be more compact than most current development that encourages sprawl and traffic.

Palisades 

Palisades is a 1,500-acre development located east of Lake Wylie and south of York Road (NC Highway 49). It eventually will include 4,145 homes, a golf course, an equestrian center, offices, and retail areas. The primary developer is Crescent Resources, Duke Energy's land development subsidiary, which is preparing the design for the northern portion that will contain the commercial center and mostly attached housing.

Early phases of the development will focus on the southern section where the golf course, equestrian center, and most detached homes will be located. Robert C. Rhein Interests is managing construction of roads and other infrastructure. Residential lots will become available to builders in the fourth quarter of 2003, and the first phase of the golf course will be open in 2004. 

All development is guided by the water quality plan, which property owners will be required to honor through covenants and restrictions. 

Duke Power built Lake Wylie in 1925, and most of the property along the lake shore was sold long ago. Thus Palisades has almost no direct access to Lake Wylie. Developers plan to build lighthouse on the lake, however, and hope for it to become a community landmark.

Completion of the entire project is expected to take ten years.

Berewick

Berewick is a 1,000-acre business and residential development located off Steele Creek Road west of I-485. It is expected to include over 2,800 homes, 2 million square feet of commercial space, and a 215 acre district park. In the middle is the 170-acre town center, containing offices, shops, and restaurants. Western and southern sections will contain various communities of detached and attached residences. On the northeast side will be a 215 acre district park, which Mecklenburg County bought from the developer, Pappas Properties, in November. A site also has been reserved for a future school.

The first residences will be available in late 2003, about the time sewer service will be ready. Planned construction of the town center is in 2005. Also planned for 2005 is the reconstruction of the Steele Creek Road/Shopton Road West intersection. Dixie River Road also will be realigned through the development.  Use this link to see a map and more information.

Island Pointe

Once slated for 3,600 residences, this 1,800 development now is expected to contain only a tenth as many homes. Most will be on large lots of several acres. Crescent Resources is only now preparing plans and will be submitting a rezoning application soon. Use this link for more information.