North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Long-anticipated construction has started at the Eastland Mall in Charlotte, after billionaire sports owner David Tepper dropped out of the $175 million project. The project, on an 80-acre site in east Charlotte is now officially name Eastland Yards.
Crosland Southeast will lead the construction to turn the empty, city owned lot into a mixed-use development. Preliminary work will add utilities and grading and vertical construction is expected to begin in about 18 months. The plan includes apartments, single-family homes and commercial buildings.
Phase one is scheduled to run through 2024 and will include:
- 155 townhomes and single-family houses
- 70-120 affordable units for senior citizens
- 280 multifamily units
- 17,500 square feet of office and retail space
- Open space
- Street, stormwater, water, sewer and right-of-way infrastructure improvements
Future phases will include another 145,000 sq. ft. of office and retail space. A grocery store and health care component are also part of the plan.
The project broke ground without Tepper Sports and Entertainment (TSE), originally proposed as an anchor tenant for the project, first with the team’s headquarters and practice facility planned for Eastland, which was later replaced with plans for the team’s academy headquarters there. Both were intended to occupy 20 acres of the 80-acre site the city had earmarked for a sports or recreation component.
Crosland Southeast, says the development is not dependent on TSE.
When completed, the development will include about 160 single-family homes, 260 apartments and potentially about 70 senior living homes with an affordable component. The initial phase of the project will also include 17,500 square feet of office and retail space.
The entire project is expected to take five years and councillors say it will inspire private development in the area.