Apartments being built at the old Central Branch YMCA in Gastonia
A Charlotte-based real estate developer wants to build apartments with space for commercial and retail use at the former Central Branch YMCA on Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia.
"We love the growth we're seeing in Gaston County and what's happening with the FUSE District," said Mark Miller, the CEO of Highline Partners.
Miller believes the 6-acre site would be good for apartments, commercial space and a food/beverage type business.
Highline Partners represents a niche development company that focuses on boutique residential and commercial projects, Miller said.
The company is under contract to redevelop the property, which neighbors the CaroMont Health Park within the city's FUSE District.
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The property sits at 615 W. Franklin Blvd., in front of the historic York Chester neighborhood. For decades it was the site of a YMCA until the YMCA moved to Robinwood Road and became the Warlick Family YMCA.
Miller plans to build two to three multifamily apartment buildings with 220-plus total units and a commercial space used for an office-type space with food/beverage amenities.
He also plans to include a 10,000-square-foot green space between the commercial building and the residential buildings.
Half of the green space will be used for a pool while the other half includes green areas, breakout spaces for people to gather and a grilling station.
"We're hoping this will add something new," said Miller. "We want to maintain a theme of the community having places to gather in this project."
Apartment buildings are expected to be about three- to four-stories high.
Apartment costs and building designs have yet to be finalized. Miller wants the building designs and the project's name to align with the surrounding areas.
"The area is pretty dynamic in nature with it being so close to downtown and the surrounding York Chester neighborhood,” said Miller. “Renters at this site can have the best of both worlds and walk to the ballpark or enjoy a walk or bike through the neighborhoods."
Miller expects to start construction for the site next year.
The city's proximity to the Catawba River, Crowders Mountain and Charlotte offers a lot of amenities to potential residents, Miller says.
"We hope this brings more people to the restaurants downtown and draws companies," said Miller. "We want to play our role in helping bring people to the FUSE District and maybe that could lead to a grocery store downtown too."
He expects to finish the project by 2025.
Reach Janiya Winchester at 980-319-6819 or jwinchester@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Apartments being built at the old Central Branch YMCA in Gastonia
