Work clearing a wooded section of land between E. Martintown Road and E. Buena Vista Avenue has grown enough to begin attracting attention.
The site preparation marks the first tangible progress on a development that initially went before the North Augusta Planning Commission in August 2021 as a sketch plan review. First known as the Mealing tract development, the official name was Bluegrass Place.
The 53-acre multipurpose development went before the North Augusta City Council in early 2022 and was approved. Site work began early this year.
“Finally, we have closed on loan with a Midwest lender to mass grade the site between East Martintown and Buena Vista and put in a spine road that will connect both of those roads, as well as put in utilities and master detention pond for the entire site,” Bill Brown, Chief Operating Officer with developer RealtyLink, explained for ABD.
The development will include just shy of 540 new residential housing units. It will be a mixture of single-family homes available for rent, townhomes, and apartments. Brown said they are also hoping to include senior housing. The site will also offer commercial and professional properties, as well as a four-acre greenspace.
“We certainly expect to do a high-quality development that’ll be an asset to the area with a mix of uses of both residential and commercial uses,” said Brown. “Our first step is now doing the mass grading and infrastructure work, and obviously, that’s increasing our investment in the property dramatically. We hope to follow that up with more development and going what we call vertical, with development of both residential and commercial.”
Brown said the commercial development could include retail shops, restaurants, and possibly a grocery store.
When it first went before the council in February 2022, the plan met with resistance from residents of a nearby neighborhood. Residents were unhappy with a plan to link Goldman Street to the project, fearing it would be used as a cut-through in their neighborhood of about 30 homes. The developer said that the connection was included based on North Augusta’s requirement for new neighborhood connectivity. An amended request eliminated the through street, and the plan was approved.
Brown said RealtyLink, based in Greenville, S.C., learned of the property and its potential for development from Brannon Graybill with The Graybill Company, a commercial real estate agency based in Martinez.
Brown anticipates site preparation will take an additional six to eight months before construction begins.
Although Bluegrass Place is a large development, its announcement was initially overshadowed by a substantially larger project.
Originally called Highland Springs, it has been renamed Alidata. It is a nearly 1,400-acre project proposed for an area bounded by Palmetto Parkway, Belvedere-Clearwater Road, and Ascauga Lake Road. The mixed-use development called for as many as 4,100 new housing units, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments. There are also large commercial and retail sections, including space for so-called “big box” stores and professional space. The plan also includes an assortment of walking trails and green space.
The North Augusta Planning Commission has approved a preliminary plat for the construction of more than 550 homes near Highland Springs Middle School. The project has not yet come before the city council.
