Fresh renderings show apartment plans for century-old textile mill in west Charlotte
A 105-year-old former textile mill on the west side will soon get more life.
Vertical construction is expected to start in November on 321 apartments at the Savona Mill site, Atlanta-based developer Portman Holdings said this week. The project will eventually include 600 apartments.
Charlotte has seen other historic mill sites and buildings converted into new uses. Optimist Hall in the Optimist Park neighborhood is one example. The popular food hall that teems with small businesses today was a former turn-of-the-century textile mill.
At Savona Mill, apartments are only one part of the mixed-use site.
Construction is already underway on 200,000 square feet of office, 14,000 square feet of retail plus an outdoor amphitheater and a rooftop deck with views of Charlotte’s skyline. An outdoor plaza will lead to the amphitheater.
Located at 500 S. Turner Ave., Portman is redeveloping the 30-acre site in phases. Plans call for about 600 apartments, The Charlotte Observer has previously reported.
The project will focus on expanding access to the Stewart Creek Greenway. Work is starting to build a multi-use trail along Stewart Creek, which will connect to the greenway.
The cost of the project has not been disclosed.
What to expect at Savona Mill
The apartment construction starting in November is the first of two phases. Construction is expected to be complete on the 321 apartments by next summer, Portman said this week in a news release.
Development of the apartments will include a dog park, yoga studios, game rooms, fitness center and a pool.
The adaptive reuse of the mill will include vaulted ceilings, restored hardwood flooring and expansive windows.
Savona was only one of a few former mills in Charlotte that remained undeveloped, according to Argos Real Estate Advisors, a local company involved in the project.
Portman’s other Charlotte projects
Portman is also behind a few other prominent projects in the city.
The company announced last week that construction will start in October on a 24-story, 370-unit apartment tower in South End. Sycamore Brewery, which currently occupies the site, will move next door to another Portman project, the 16-story tower called The Line.
The Line has 285,000 square feet of office and close to 30,000 square feet of retail.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 11:01 AM.
