New West Charlotte River District Master-Planned Community Opens

West Charlotte's newest development opened its gates on Sept. 20. The massive River District project will transform 1,400 acres over the next decade, adding homes and business spaces for thousands.

Streets wind through preserved woodlands, connecting residential areas to shops and offices. The first buildings now stand tall against the sky, while moving trucks bring new life to freshly paved streets.

"This is a true master plan, so it's not about just housing," said Rayner Thicken, senior managing director with Crescent Communities, according to WCNC. "It's lifestyle, employment center, and it's a long runway."

Plans show a mix of stores, medical offices, and living spaces spread across the site. A new school will open its doors within walking distance of most homes. Builders designed the streets to make walking and biking easy choices for getting around.

Julia Ryan and Joe Schotts picked their new home early in the project. "Everything's going to be in one area," Schotts told WCNC, "which is nice, we will have everything we need in a walking distance away."

"I know they have big plans for riverfront parks," Ryan said to WCNC. "I did not want to live in a rural area ... so we felt nature intertwining to city was the perfect thing for us."

By year's end, about 50 people will call the district home. Construction teams will keep building through 2035, adding new sections bit by bit until the whole site comes alive.