CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The expansion of West Boulevard that will lead directly into The River District mixed-use community opened Tuesday morning.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lynes cut the ribbon leading to the now-four-lane West Boulevard in west Charlotte's Dixie-Berryhill area, which was developed to provide a path to 1,400-acre The River District. The project plans to blend more than 2,300 single-family homes, 2,350 multifamily-residential apartments with forested areas, more than 30 miles worth of trails, a working farm and parks. All of this development is on the banks of the Catawba River.
More than 500 apartments and 124 houses will be reserved for affordable housing. This area will be called Westrow, but other communities will branch out from Westrow.
The project was first proposed in 2016. The community, which is expected to rival developments like Ballantyne, is being built in phases by multiple companies including Crescent Communities and Laurel Street. Development broke ground back in March 2023. Construction of the entire community could take upwards of three decades to complete. The location is among the largest areas of undeveloped land remaining in Mecklenburg County.
Crescent Communities hopes the project generates more than $5.6 billion a year. The community will be located between Interstate 485 and the Catawba River near Charlotte Douglas International Airport.