It’s no secret that the River Arts District has seriously glowed up over the last decade (shout out to greenways, bike lanes, and public art). This month, its metamorphosis will continue as Woodfield Development breaks ground on the River Arts Apartments project at 147 Roberts St — right across the street from Ultra Coffeebar.

The mixed-use development — which totals 431,736 sq ft — will include 237 apartment units, 60+ public parking spaces, and 16,000 sq ft of retail space. Here’s what else you can expect from the project, including the timeline, apartment specs, and the building’s art-centric vision.

Civil Design Concepts is the project’s civilian engineer. | Rendering by Housing-Studio Charlotte and Rowhouse

The timeline

Woodfield officially closed on the property Dec., 22, 2021. Groundbreaking occurs the first week of January, and construction is expected to wrap up in 26 months (for the math-averse, that’s ~March 2024).

Interesting tidbit: The project is actually an updated version of the unbuilt RAD lofts project.

The apartments

The average apartment size will be 900 sq ft. Offerings include studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom units. Ten percent (that’s 24) of the units will be designated affordable, meaning they’ll be available for households earning 80% of the area median income — for a one-bedroom, that means $947 without utilities or $1,021 with utilities.

The now empty, pie-shaped site used to house Dave’s Steel. | Photo via Google Earth

The artsy details

To honor the expressive nature of the River Arts District, Woodfield is collaborating with local artist + curator Nancy Hilliard Joyce to create a five panel wall of murals along its Clingman Ave. face. Joyce plans to engage and contract local artists for the display. Woodfield has shared that another local partner includes the NC Glass Center, which will contribute to interior decorations + design.

As we await the completion of this newest project, we can’t help but marvel over our city’s ever-changing skyline, and wonder about the new businesses which will move into the retail space. Fingers crossed for one of the spots on our restaurant wish list to join in.