STEELE CREEK NEWS

Planned Unified Development East of Berewick Could Include a Community Hospital

(September 20, 2021) The owners of an 185 acre tract of land east of Berewick have submitted a rezoning application to allow development of the site with a mixed-use community of residential, office, and retail uses anchored by a community based hospital facility serving the Steele Creek Area. See Petition 2021-093.

The development would consist of five Development Areas as shown on the map above:

• Development Areas A-1 and A-2 - Rezone to O-2(CD) - Up to 320,000 square feet of offices, medical offices, and banks/financial institutions and a community hospital with up to 150 beds, estimated at 340,000 square feet.
• Development Area B - Rezone to MUDD-O - Up to 104,200 square feet of office and retail, possibly including eating establishments and convenience/gasoline sales.
• Development Areas C-1 and C-2 - Rezone to UR-2(CD) - Up to 275 residential dwelling units of all types and/or a senior living facility.
• Development Areas D-1 and D-2 - Rezone to O-2(CD) - Up to 910,000 square feet of offices, medical offices, and banks/financial institutions.
• Development Areas E-1 and E-2 - Rezone to UR-2(CD) - Up to 50 single family attached residential dwelling units.

Although the rezoning site plan specifies a 150-bed hospital, earlier this year the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation conditionally approved a new hospital named Novant Health Steele Creek Medical Center with no more than 32 acute care beds and no more than 2 operating rooms. Estimated construction costs are $178 Million, and expected opening is October 2025.

Most of the property is currently zoned R-3, but a small 8.39 acre parcel in the northwest corner was rezoned in 2019 for offices. That rezoning will be superseded by the new petition. See 2018-155.

The area south of I-485 near the Steele Creek Road interchange has been experiencing rapid development:

• The Berewick Town Center is mostly developed with retail, restaurants, and hotels. There is one large tract in the center remaining to be developed.
• Land for the new Steele Creek Landing has been cleared and graded. Plans include a Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden Restaurant, Hilton Garden Inn, and other retail. (See Steele Creek Landing. Click on the Read More link for details.)
• The Shoppes at Madison Place currently are under construction. Plans for the retail center include an Outback Steakhouse. Also under construction here are up to 230 apartments. See 2017-023.
• Property owners in the Clearview Acres subdivision plan to sell their properties as a unit. This area likely will become commercial. No rezoning has been submitted for these properties, but The Shopping Center Group is offering space in an Entertainment & Retail center at this location. A parcel east of Clearview Acres is part of the Shopping Center Group offer, is undeveloped, and has an outstanding rezoning petition for apartments, but this is over four years old.
• Pringle Square apartments and Pringle Towns townhomes are under construction to the south. Streets in these residential areas will provide connectivity from the new development to Brown-Grier Road. This is the former location of the Grier Family dairy farm. The Grier Family still owns the northeast corner of the intersection of Steele Creek Road and Brown-Grier Road, as well as other property south of Brown Grier Road.