This article was originally published by Charlotte Business Journal on March 16, 2017.


Two local developers are working in a joint venture to plan a new mixed-use center in Huntersville.

Bowman Development Group out of Huntersville and MPV Properties of Charlotte have proposed developing a town-center project, called Anchor Mill, on a 29.1-acre site between North Church Street and Huntersville-Concord Road. The project, currently going through rezoning with the town of Huntersville, would include 165,000 square feet of office and retail as well as 400 residential units, with a mix of apartments and townhouses.

“The east side of that interchange will ultimately need this type of product to keep people from having to cross the interstate to do their daily shopping,” said Steve Vermillion, managing partner at MPV.

Vermillion estimated about 90,000 square feet would be devoted to retail, including a grocery store anchor. A site plan filed with the petition indicates a 78,000-square-foot retail building would sit at the center of the project, with four additional retail buildings measuring between 2,200 square feet and 6,300 square feet adjacent to the project’s main parking lot.

An office building is also in the works. Vermillion said the size of that building, which would face Church Street, would be determined once a specific user has been found. Several smaller mixed-use buildings are part of the plan, which Vermillion indicated would likely include service-type retail.

MPV will spearhead Anchor Mill’s commercial development while Bowman Development will head up the residential portion. The number of apartments and townhouses will be determined by the market — but the project will include a mix of both, Vermillion said.

Road improvements are planned to help mitigate anticipated traffic impact from the project.

“I think for the most part, concerns have been about what we’re actually going to do to improve the roads there,” Vermillion said, adding those plans haven’t been finalized yet. “We have a lot of input coming from Huntersville and NCDOT to ultimately (decide) what we need to do.”

The project will be built in phases, with the retail component likely coming out of the ground first. Vermillion estimated total project buildout would take three to five years.

Anchor Mill will go before the town of Huntersville planning board in April and is expected to be voted on in May.

By Ashley Fahey
afahey@bizjournals.com

See full article here: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/03/16/proposed-huntersville-project-would-include-mix-of.html