Two proposed developments that eventually could add more than 800 housing units and a brewery near downtown Cornelius passed the town board in unanimous 5-0 votes Tuesday night.
One project - Greenway Gartens - has been proposed by developer Northwood Ravin and Old Mecklenburg Brewery on a vacant former screw factory site. It would include 448 apartments, 14 townhomes and a 14,000 square foot brewery and restaurant as well as a 10,000 square-foot indoor events center and other commercial space. A future phase could include 88 more residential units and an additional 10,000 square feet of commercial space.
The other project, called Caroline, would include 250 "active adult" units plus 110 other apartments. Proffitt Dixon Partners also wants to build offices and shops on the site, which is currently 16.3 acres of woods.
Approvals came after public hearings where opponents expressed concern about traffic and the loss of trees. But other residents and business owners said they look forward to the expansion of downtown and the idea of having a brewery and other amenities within walking distance of their homes.
Antiquity resident Chad Huck told commissioners the projects are "100% in keeping with the Town Center Master Plan and will bring community and fellowship." He said real estate agents are already using the project in their marketing and thinks it will make Antiquity one of the most desirable communities in the area.
The approvals came with some conditions, including a roundabout and other new traffic patterns and additional landscaping.
The projects will develop in phases, with additional approvals required to reach the full number of housing units.
More on the Cornelius Planning Department website, https://www.cornelius.org/333/Projects
