A developer building a neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of the Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area for people 55 and older is promoting access for residents to a nearby river popular for kayaking and canoeing.
Kolter Homes has started preparing a site near the town of Locust, where the company plans about 1,200 houses at Cresswind at Rocky River. The location is nine miles from the nearest public access point for the Rocky River Blueway, which flows about 50 miles downstream toward South Carolina. Downtown Charlotte is about a 45-minute drive.
Part of Florida-based real estate investment firm Kolter Group, the developer has completed more than 7,000 homes in 17 residential projects across the southeastern United States. This will be Kolter’s third age-restricted neighborhood in the Charlotte area.
More than 150 people move to the Charlotte region daily, according to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s website. Stanly County, which includes Locust, was the third fastest-growing of the region’s 14 counties in percentage terms from 2023 to 2024. The median single-family sales price in Locust is $399,000, according to Homes.com data, with 87 home sales in the past year.
“We are excited to continue to bring our proven approach to North Carolina’s growing active adult market, offering not just beautiful homes but a community centered around connection, wellness and a lifestyle that promotes living well at every stage,” Josh Donovan, Kolter community director, said in a statement.
Raleigh, the state capital, has also seen substantial growth in the 55-and-older housing market in the past year.
The first homes will be available in the Locust development next spring, according to the statement. Houses will range from 1,500 to more than 2,800 square feet, with two to five bedrooms.
Besides the nearby river amenity, Kolter said it intends to have 30 pickleball courts at the Locust development, a clubhouse with a fitness center, and an arts and crafts room with a kiln.
