6 changes planned for major Fort Mill mixed-use development downtown
A large apartment and retail project aims to extend Fort Mill’s downtown area, revitalizing one of the town’s oldest mill sites. Recent parking, pedestrian and price changes make it more likely to happen.
Fort Mill Town Council is halfway through its rezoning process for the 16-acre Williamson Mill project, having unanimously approved a first vote on Oct. 27.
The former Luna Cotton Mill and White Plant building between Williamson Road and the downtown railroad tracks would become 225 apartments. It would also have up to 25,000 square feet of commercial space.
Jerry Gronske, part of the development team as senior director of construction with Unique USA, didn’t give a project cost or name any commercial tenants when he detailed recent changes for the town. He did note several changes since he and the family behind retailer Rugs.com approached the town a year ago with redevelopment plans.
“The family does want to extend Main Street and create this community magnet,” Gronske said.
Here’s a look at six of the latest changes proposed for Williamson Mill:
Parking garage proposed for downtown Fort Mill
A two-level parking garage will offer free parking for the project. A lower level will be for residents and deliveries, while an upper level will be for retail and public parking.
There’s also a switch from parallel to diagonal parking on Watson Street, and only on one side of it.
With lots across from the old mill, on-street parking and the new garage, the site will have more than 500 parking spaces. The first level of the parking garage will be below grade, meaning the second level will align with construction on the ground.
“We decided to go below grade and not raise it up so it doesn’t become an eyesore to the public,” Gronske said.
Apartments for town workers, police, teachers
Williamson Mill would set aside 5% of its apartments, or 11 units, and prioritize them for public workers. Town employees or employees of the Fort Mill School District would be eligible for those apartments at 10% off the market rate rent.
If a waitlist forms for apartments, those same public employees would go to the top of that list.
Chris Moody, who has been on Council for nearly a decade, can’t recall a similar proposal from a developer. “It’s very difficult for these teachers, firemen, cops to live here,” Moody said.
The median home sale price this year through September is $530,000 in Fort Mill, according to Canopy Realtor Association. The 16-county Charlotte region, according to the same data, has a median sale price of $339,900.
The discount discussion also offered clues as to apartment prices.
The 10% off would save renters $250 to $350 a month on one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio apartments, Gronske said. Those numbers would put those apartments without a discount at $2,500 to $3,500 a month.
The full project will have apartments in those sizes, plus three-bedroom options.
Williamson Mill developer to improve roads
The project would realign Watson Street. The developer would resurface it, along with Williamson and Link streets.
A small portion of Railroad Avenue would be resurfaced. The road work would be scheduled to avoid as many traffic problems as possible, Gronske said.
Several Fort Mill Town Council members expressed concerns with a long shutdown or Watson Street, a frequent cut-through in the downtown area. The town sometimes closes Main Street for business or social events that push traffic onto Watson.
There are other roads drivers could use, Mayor Guynn Savage said. “I don’t see that as outside the norm,” she said. “Something to pay attention to, (but) not anything that I think ought to have great concern.”
The developer and town remain in talks to determine when Watson might close, and for how long.
Walkways to connect Main Street corridor
The developer wants to create a raised walkway from Railroad Avenue to the Crossings on Main retail shop. It would take out a few parking spaces, Gronske said, but also connect Williamson Mill to the bottom or Main Street.
The developer submitted an application to Norfolk Southern, the company that operates the downtown rail line, for a land lease between the train tracks and mill property. It would become a bikeway and walkway, Gronske said.
Moratorium, assurances since earlier Williamson Mill plans
Some changes that could impact Williamson Mill, and one that won’t, have taken place since the town first saw redevelopment plans last fall.
The project won’t be subject to a housing moratorium that’s put a halt to residential projects in Fort Mill through the end of the year.
“It allowed anything that had already been submitted to continue,” said Assistant Town Manager Chris Pettit.
The town has made recent changes in its approval process to protect them from developers pitching one idea and building something far different once they have annexation or rezoning. Any significant changes from the redevelopment proposal would now come back to Council for an additional review.
Redevelopment plans are past initial stages and are at the point of pricing items and choosing fronting materials, Gronske said. Significant changes have already been made.
As an industrial property, the former mill could become something entirely different compared to the town allowing the zoning change for the apartments and retail, said Councilman Ben Hudgins.
“We could be running three shifts in an industrial environment,” he said. “And to see something like this, I know the downtown businesses are excited about it.”
What to expect next for Williamson Mill
The developer intends to open Williamson Mill in 2027. If Council finalizes the rezoning, future changes would come in one of two ways.
The old mill, with parts of it dating back to 1892, would be subject to National Register of Historic Places rules. The town’s Historic Review Board would hear plans from window placements to exterior colors.
“When this building was built, it had more glass than brick,” Gronske said. “And when this building will be done, there will be a lot more glass than brick.”
The new construction will go through typical review through the town Planning Commission. Those parts include a 4-story apartment and commercial building and the parking garage. The new building would be nearly 60 feet tall, about the same size as another apartment project at the top end of Main Street, The Greens.
While no retailers have been named for the project, Gronske confirmed last fall that he’d had multiple conversation with Trader Joe’s about putting a grocery store at the site.
In July, a company representative told The Herald there wasn’t a Fort Mill Trader Joe’s site confirmed. The company’s online listing of coming stores doesn’t list a Fort Mill location.
