Elizabeth construction will spill across Fort Mill Parkway, bringing 300 apartments
As homes continue to pop up in the new Elizabeth neighborhood, attention turns to the other side of Fort Mill Parkway.
Early construction plans have been submitted to the town for new apartments on the north side of the highway. A separate town planning commission decision Feb. 20 is likely to name a road through those apartments Elizabeth Commons Boulevard.
Apartments are allowed on the more than 16-acre site across Fort Mill Parkway from the two main entrances as part of a 2016 development agreement with the town. Town planning staff will review plans without any further approvals needed by the planning commission or Fort Mill Town Council.
The apartments are the next phase in what’s been one of the hottest growth areas in Fort Mill the past several years. The town doesn’t have a timeline for when construction will begin, said planning director Penelope Karagounis.
Elizabeth Commons apartments on Fort Mill Parkway
Online property listings have shown about 300 apartments planned on the north side of Fort Mill Parkway for more than a year. Raleigh, North Carolina-based Elizabeth Commons acquired the 16 acres for almost $4.9 million at what will likely become 148 Elizabeth Commons Blvd. from neighborhood builder Lennar Carolinas last May.
The recent submission to the town is for 292 apartments.
A site plan submitted as part of the road name change shows two apartment buildings with a central dog park and maintenance area facing the parkway.
The new, private Elizabeth Commons Boulevard would be right behind them and run from the parkway on the west side to Brickyard Road on the east. Two more apartment buildings, a pool and clubhouse amenity area are north of the new boulevard.
The plan shows two direct entrances from Brickyard Road to the apartment property on its east side. Today, the apartment property sits more than a quarter mile west of Brickyard. The site plan shows that road rerouted or extended west with other home properties along it.
Both the apartments and road alignment are part of much larger changes planned for the area.
Elizabeth plans at birthplace of Fort Mill
A decade ago, former U.S. Rep. John Spratt pitched development of long-time family property near the Catawba River that Mayor Guynn Savage has sometimes referred to since as the birthplace of Fort Mill.
Spratt started with about 3,400 new residences on more than 700 acres, but the count decreased to 2,650 homes and apartments by the time Fort Mill annexed the property in 2016.
A development agreement at that time allowed up to 1,575 homes, 1,075 apartments, at least 350,000 square feet of commercial development and 60 acres along the river donated for a future park.
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Now, the expected new residence count is closer to the 1,300 range. Work began on the south side of Fort Mill Parkway, nearest the river.
Hundreds of homes have been built since the first residents moved in last year. New roads and utility lines are under construction to push Elizabeth deeper toward the river. Apart from the more than 250 home or townhome lots already marked out for the neighborhood, Lennar owns, sold or donated about 300 acres south of the parkway. That space will have new homes, common areas, businesses and a planned town park.
These two businesses will be the latest additions beside Elizabeth property in Fort Mill
Lennar still owns more than 300 acres north of the parkway. The largest piece is just east of the new apartment piece, at 259 acres. It contains most of Brickyard Road.
Fort Mill Parkway widening planned
Elizabeth has been a driver for significant growth along Fort Mill Parkway, from a planned Harris Teeter grocery store to several new fast food restaurants, retail businesses and mini-storage. The growth also means a wider parkway is needed.
The latest plans are in for that new Harris Teeter on Fort Mill Parkway — with changes
A 2017 referendum included widening of Fort Mill Parkway from U.S. 21 to the railroad bridge between Elizabeth and US Foods. It’s part of a larger widening, all the way to Sutton Road and Interstate 77, through York County’s one-cent sales tax for road work program, Pennies for Progress.
The parkway work includes an underpass to connect both sides of Elizabeth.
Pennies started in 1997, and it created Fort Mill Parkway before coming back to widen a portion in front of Elizabeth. A new Pennies referendum this fall is likely to have another stretch of Fort Mill Parkway up for widening, this time from the railroad bridge to Holbrook Road.
A final roads list hasn’t been determined but that project has come up repeatedly in discussion on Fort Mill needs.
A chance to get it right. Fort Mill leaders, public approaching key decision about roads
