River District
Charlotte's Newest Community, Built From the Ground Up
The River District is Charlotte's newest and biggest bet on what a suburb can look like, 1,400 acres of former farmland between the Catawba River and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, being built from the ground up by Crescent Communities, the same developer behind Ballantyne Corporate Park. Ground broke on infrastructure in 2022, and the first residents moved into the community's town center, Westrow, in late 2025. The plan calls for up to 2,300 single-family homes, 2,350 apartments and townhomes, millions of square feet of office and retail space, and more than 500 acres of preserved green space, all unfolding over an expected 10 to 12 years.
Four builders, David Weekley Homes, DRB Homes, Toll Brothers, and Saussy Burbank, are currently selling new construction in Westrow, with a second neighborhood, Basswood, now also open for home sales and a NOVEL-branded apartment community leasing nearby. The River District is also the first community in the Southeast certified under the international One Planet Living sustainability framework, and it's shaping up around a working farm, bike and hiking trails, and eventual public access to the Catawba River itself, something no other Charlotte neighborhood currently offers.
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Crescent Communities, the same team behind Ballantyne Corporate Park, broke ground on River District's infrastructure in 2022 and welcomed its first residents to the Westrow town center in late 2025.
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David Weekley Homes, DRB Homes, Toll Brothers, and Saussy Burbank are selling new construction in Westrow, and a second neighborhood, Basswood, has now opened for home sales too.
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River District is certified under this international sustainability framework, the first community in the region to earn that distinction.
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Westrow's farm and orchard anchor the community plan, with The Forge, a planned village built around a farm, café, and restaurant, breaking ground in 2025.
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The Airline Bike Park and Basswood Trailhead are already up and running, but the marquee public park on the Catawba River in the River Point section isn't expected to open until summer 2028.
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The full plan calls for up to 2,300 single-family homes, 2,350 apartments and townhomes, millions of square feet of office and retail, and more than 500 acres of preserved green space.
Because River District homes are brand new and selling almost as fast as builders can finish them, its market looks nothing like an established neighborhood's. Here's what's actually publishing right now.
Price range
$580K – $1.03M
Past 12 months, single-family
Median days on market
1
Past 12 months
Typical home size
~2,500 sq ft
Median (1,900–3,700 sq ft range)
Typical lot size
~0.13 acre
Median (0.08–0.2 acre range)
Year built
2025–2026
All homes sold to date
HOA dues
$197 – $273/mo
Varies by builder & home type
River District (28278 zip code) single-family homes and townhomes, Canopy MLS via Terra Vista Realty, pulled July 13, 2026. This community only started closing on homes in late 2025, so sales history is thin and figures move fast; verify current values.
Schools In River District
River District is so new that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is still in the early stages of planning a dedicated elementary and middle school on nearly 50 acres within the community, so for now, families rely on existing CMS schools nearby. Here's what's zoned today, factual and sourced, plus what to verify before you buy.
Berewick Elementary
Kennedy Middle
Olympic High School
Sources disagree on River District's zoned high school. Builder and Canopy MLS listings for the Westrow section have cited both Olympic High (shown here) and West Mecklenburg High (GreatSchools rating of 1/10 in the same records), and CMS boundaries in this fast-growing area can shift as new schools are added. Confirm the zoned elementary, middle, and high school for your exact address and lot through the CMS assignment lookup before buying.
HOA & Community Amenities
River District is too new to have one settled HOA story yet. Homes sell through individual builder sections rather than one master association billing everyone the same way, and public listing records show monthly dues running from about $197 for single-family homes to roughly $273 for townhomes, with FirstService Residential named as the management company on record for Westrow. Included amenities across the community's plan are a clubhouse, fitness center, dog park, playground, pool, sport court, and walking trails, along with the Westrow farm and orchard.
A lot of what makes River District distinctive is still under construction rather than finished and ready to use. The Airline Bike Park and Basswood Trailhead are open, but The Forge, a planned village with a farm, café, and restaurant, only broke ground in 2025, and the community's marquee amenity, a public riverfront park on the Catawba River in the River Point section, isn't expected to open until summer 2028. Confirm current HOA dues and what amenities are actually complete versus still planned before making decisions.
Location & Lifestyle
River District sits in far west Charlotte's 28278 zip code, on the east bank of the Catawba River and about 10 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, centered on Dixie River Road and a newly extended stretch of West Boulevard. At 1,400 acres, it's Mecklenburg County's largest master-planned development since Ballantyne, led by the same developer, Crescent Communities, and it's being built out in phases, starting with Westrow's 70-acre town center and now expanding into the Basswood neighborhood, with commercial and office space to follow.
For now, daily life leans on what's nearby rather than a built-out town center of its own: the U.S. National Whitewater Center is about 10 minutes away for rafting, climbing, and trails, McDowell Nature Preserve isn't much farther, and Steele Creek's shopping corridors along South Tryon and Steele Creek Road cover most day-to-day errands. Commutes into uptown Charlotte typically run 20 to 25 minutes via West Boulevard and I-485, and the airport's short hop makes this a popular pick for pilots, flight crews, and frequent travelers.
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In far west Charlotte's 28278 zip code, on the east bank of the Catawba River and about 10 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, centered on Dixie River Road and West Boulevard. It's roughly 20 to 25 minutes from uptown Charlotte via I-485.
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It's a brand-new, 1,400-acre master-planned community from Crescent Communities, the developer behind Ballantyne, built around a working farm, bike and hiking trails, and a planned public riverfront park on the Catawba River. It's also the first community in the Southeast certified under the One Planet Living sustainability framework.
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No. The first residents only moved in during late 2025, and the community is planned to unfold over 10 to 12 years in phases. The first neighborhood, Westrow, and a newer neighborhood, Basswood, are selling homes now, while the riverfront park and much of the planned retail and office space are still years out.
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As of today, homes are zoned for Berewick Elementary and Kennedy Middle, with high school assignment cited as either Olympic High or West Mecklenburg High depending on the source and section. CMS is also in early planning for a new elementary and middle school within the community; verify your exact zoned schools through the CMS assignment lookup before buying.
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Over the past 12 months, single-family homes have sold for roughly $580,000 to just over $1 million, with a median of only about 1 day on market. There isn't one master HOA yet; dues run from about $197 to $273 a month depending on the builder and home type, so confirm current fees for the specific section you're considering.
