South Park fire: What we know about the apartment project and who owns the land
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SouthPark Fire
On May 18, 2023, a five-alarm fire broke out at a construction site in SouthPark. Two men died as a result of the blaze.
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Before a five-alarm fire broke out Thursday morning in South Park, sending plumes of black smoke into the south Charlotte sky, construction was well underway on an apartment project called Modera SouthPark.
Boca Raton, Florida-based developer Mill Creek Residential broke ground on the 239-unit project last January. It’s unclear whether the developer will continue the project in the fire’s aftermath.
Plans had called for two identical buildings at 7740 and 7741 Liberty Row Drive, according to the developer.
That’s where the Charlotte Fire Department got several calls for a fire at a construction site. By 10 a.m., the closed streets — just around the corner from SouthPark mall — were teeming with with more than 90 firefighters. People forced to leave nearby hotels and office buildings were left to watch firefighters quell the flames.
As the smoke started to clear, signs of a construction scene became more apparent. That included the framing of a building and a tall crane where one worker was rescued by fire crews.
Mill Creek Residential, a national rental housing company, was working with Greensboro-based Hawthorne Residential Partners on the apartment project.
The fire was reported by fire fighters first on scene as starting on a lower floor of the apartment building under construction. The lower floors housed a parking garage, where the fire broke out.
The origin of the fire appears to be an area where a spray-foam insulation trailer was being used, Charlotte Fire Department Chief Reginald Johnson told reporters at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Next door, a second apartment building was also under construction. The primary building — where the fire started — was completely destroyed, save for some concrete structure. The second building was badly damaged as the fire spread.
The Charlotte Fire Department has not yet released the cause of the initial spark or estimated damages.
Here’s what we know about the development project and who owns the land where the fire happened.
Who owns the land where the South Park fire happened?
Tracking who owns the property where the fire broke out is a bit tricky.
Last January, Hawthorne Residential Partners sold a 2.7-acre parcel at 7741 Liberty Row Drive for $11.9 million, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
The land was sold to a limited partnership that lists a mailing address in South End, records show. The suite belongs to Mill Creek Residential, according to a sign on the outside of the building. A reporter’s attempt to reach someone there Friday morning was not successful.
It’s not clear who runs the partnership. A company official listed in state business records is another LLC with a New Jersey address and yet another LLC is tied to that one with another New Jersey address.
A phone message left Thursday afternoon by The Charlotte Observer with a number tied to one of those companies was not returned.
Luxury apartments planned for site
Mill Creek develops and owns a number of rental communities across the country, according to its website. Its portfolio stretches from San Francisco and Seattle to Austin, Nashville and New York. Mill Creek Residential describes its project on Liberty Row Drive as a luxury apartment community.
Its South Park project was to have a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes. The project was expected to be complete by spring 2024.
Some of the amenities planned for the site included a gym, pool, golf simulator and co-working areas.
The site is located on “The Loop” — a planned 3-mile walking and biking path through South Park. There are two nearby residential complexes, including The Barclay at SouthPark, a 308-unit retirement community.
The Modera project on Liberty Row Drive was Mill Creek’s first ground-up development in Charlotte. It also owns Alister Uptown at 810 E. 7th St.
More about the South Park fire
The fire threatened other structures in South Park. It also caused a garage to collapse.
Firefighters rescued 15 workers who got stuck in the building, according to officials. They had to issue two mayday calls for help after getting trapped in the fire themselves, according to fire officials.
Mill Creek Residential was following the direction of fire officials and others on scene, the developer said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with the missing and injured individuals, and their loved ones at this time,” the developer said.
This story was originally published May 19, 2023 at 11:01 AM.
