Gastonia developer eyes Shelby for 312-unit apartment complex

A gated apartment complex moved a step closer to reality for Shelby last week.

Southwood Realty of Gastonia addressed Shelby City County during a meeting Monday to discuss its plans for Palisades of Shelby – a 312-unit apartment complex to be located on 32 acres of land along South Dekalb Street between Shelby High and Shelby Middle schools.

William Ratchford with Southwood asked City Council to grant his company a special use permit to build the apartments.

Without the permit, companies are not permitted to build complexes with more than 25 units in that area.

Council approved the request unanimously.

Here are eight things to know about the Palisades of Shelby:

1. The gated complex will be located along South Lafayette Street by the intersection of South Morgan Street.

2. The complex will include 13 buildings, garages, a clubhouse, a pool and pocket parks and would represent a $39 million investment, Ratchford said during the meeting. Barring any issues with paperwork or construction, the project is on the books to begin soon.

3. The addition of the apartment complex would increase the traffic by an estimated 3,120 car trips a day. As recommended by the city’s planning department, the company must provide a traffic study and make any adjustments to address potential issues.

4. Sidewalks would be added on South Dekalb Street, but the complete design for the complex is still in planning.

5. In its proposal, Southwood vowed to add buffers and other vegetation where trees must be removed for construction purposes. They’ve talked about going above and beyond city requirements, according to Planning Director Walt Scharer.

6. The complex will be located at the start of the up-and-coming rail trail. Developers may be responsible for a small section of the trail as a condition.

7. This marks Southwood’s second investment in the Shelby area.

In 2012, the business purchased Madison Park Apartments on Normandy Lane, Ratchford said during the meeting.

Story continues

Vastly different from the vision of the Palisades, Madison is not on the same scale but has seen improvements since the purchase, Ratchford said.

8. Ratchford said during the meeting that the company has been expanding its vision for upscale apartment living to various communities including a newly started property in Gastonia and recently completed complex in Waynesville.

The Shelby complex will include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, but the price range has not been announced.

Diane Turbyfill can be reached at 704-669-3334 and [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Developer eyes Shelby for 312-unit apartment complex