Pittsboro’s farmlands give way to suburban sprawl and ‘walkable’ communities

Chantal Allam
·4 min read
2

Once a rural outpost, Pittsboro is quickly becoming its own suburban enclave as developers and local officials rush to meet eastern Chatham County’s surging growth.

Anchored by its historic downtown, the former textile town close to the Haw River (and geographic center of the state) is just 20 minutes south of Chapel Hill and 20 minutes west of Apex.

It has experienced a massive growth spurt in recent years as nearby projects from Vietnamese automaker VinFast and semiconductor producer Wolfspeed fill the region’s jobs pipeline.

From 2010 to 2020, Pittsboro’s population jumped by 800 to 4,712, according to Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program. That’s up 21.25%.

That spike is pushing developers to buy up large swaths of land to build more housing, health care infrastructure and other amenities.

It’s also forcing local officials to act fast. In July, the town of Pittsboro agreed to merge its water and wastewater facilities with Sanford, extending the town’s current system that is at capacity.

With future water and sewer utilities now in place, the region is poised to support even further growth. Here’s a quick snapshot of what you’ll see under construction in 2024.

An aerial view of the Chatham Park subdivision in Pittsboro Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.
An aerial view of the Chatham Park subdivision in Pittsboro Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.

To the east

Drive three miles east of Pittsboro’s downtown, and you’ll find Chatham Park, an 8,500-acre master-planned community currently under development along U.S. 15-501 and U.S. 64.

Construction started several years ago. To date, the park’s developers — Tim Smith and Julian “Bubba” Rawl of Preston Development Co. — have delivered Pittsboro’s Knight Farm Community Park, over 200,000 feet of office and retail space, and a soon-to-open 121-room Hampton Inn.

But much remains in the pipeline. Crews are pouring concrete and framing walls on rows of planned homes still to come.

“We want Chatham Park to be the top choice for families to relocate and plant roots,” Smith said in a press release.

By 2045, the park is expected to bring 60,000 people, 22,000 homes and 22 million square feet of business, medical and commercial construction to the area.

Among the recent highlights:

  • More than 1,000 residents have moved into some of the park’s first neighborhoods, including Vineyards at Chatham Park and MOSAIC. For many Triangle millennials, it’s become a hot spot for entry-level homes starting at around $400,000.

  • The over-55 residential Encore by David Weekley began selling in August 2023.

  • In 2024, plans are also being finalized to deliver an additional 4,500 lots in the park’s North Village.

  • Del Webb at Chatham Park is expected to become available in 2025.

  • Site work is under way on a new 34,000-square-foot Chatham Park YMCA. It’s expected to be complete by late 2024.

  • A 1,500-acre neighborhood called Asteria, part of the Storyliving by Disney brand, was announced in December. It will include 4,000 single-family and multifamily homes aimed at adults ages 55 and older. It could start to come online by 2027, The N&O previously reported.

  • UNC Health is expanding after buying 43 acres just south of the U.S. 64 Bypass and the Chatham Park Way transportation routes, for $15.9 million. The parcel can accommodate up to 700,000 square feet of medical facilities. (It will add to UNC Health’s existing sites in Chatham Park, including UNC Chatham Park Medical Office, which opened in 2016, and the SECU Jim and Betsy Bryan Hospice Home, which launched in 2017 with 10 rooms.)

Developers announced Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, that the Storyliving by Disney brand could bring a new, 4,000-home community to the Chatham Park community just north of Pittsboro in Chatham County.
Developers announced Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, that the Storyliving by Disney brand could bring a new, 4,000-home community to the Chatham Park community just north of Pittsboro in Chatham County.

‘Balanced growth’

To the west, developers are looking to transform Reeves Farm, roughly 500 acres of undeveloped land, into a large, mixed-used community between U.S. 64 Business and Alston Chapel Road.

Small-scale developers Edward Holmes Jr., with father-son business partners Buddy and Carter Keller, said they’re hoping to build up to 1,500 homes, including a mix of “missing middle” housing: townhouses, duplexes and single-family homes, ranging from 500 square feet to 4,500 square feet.

The developers initially bought the property with no entitlements in place, including sewer access. The promise of the Pittsboro-Sanford utilities merger means plans can now move ahead, Holmes said.

In 2024, they expect to begin installing sewer lines and move further with site plans. By early 2026, they hope to market lots.

“We think this balances the growth around town,” he said. “It will be the gateway into Pittsboro from the west side.”

Crews work at a construction site for an apartment building at 900 Willow Drive as development continues at University Place mall on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Crews work at a construction site for an apartment building at 900 Willow Drive as development continues at University Place mall on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C.