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Crosland Celebrates 70th Anniversary with Alpha Mill Grand OpeningCharlotte Landmark Preserved, Reborn as Apartment Residences Charlotte, N.C., June 13, 2007 – Crosland LLC, founded in 1937 by John Crosland Sr., is celebrating its 70th anniversary on June 14 with the grand opening of residences created from a cotton mill even older than the venerable development company.Crosland remains a privately held, Charlotte-based company true to the family’s roots, including the continued involvement of John Crosland Jr., who remains active on the company board as chairman emeritus. It has evolved considerably, with more than 300 employees and offices in Raleigh, Orlando, Tampa and Nashville, and projects under development in six states. The company has continued its longstanding tradition as a community builder, but has also become a leader in mixed- and multi-use development. The largest division of Crosland creates retail shopping centers. While Crosland no longer builds single-family homes, it continues to build on its residential heritage, with a land development division that creates communities, a contracting division that specializes in construction of multifamily residences, and a residential division that builds condominiums and apartments. Both the residential and contracting divisions were involved in the rebirth of Alpha Mill, a landmark visible from I-277 between uptown and NoDa, which was Charlotte’s second cotton mill. Working with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission to preserve this piece of Charlotte’s textile heritage, Crosland has converted the original mill buildings into apartments. With the help of Narmour Wright Creech architects, Crosland also created new structures that blend with the original architecture, for a total of 167 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments in eight buildings. Alpha Mill is a local Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. “On one hand, there was history worth preserving, but on the other, the property was an abandoned eyesore with environmental problems that resulted from the textile engraving process,” said Jud Little, president of Crosland’s residential division. “We had to work with the National Parks Service, the North Carolina Brownfields section, the railroads, and other state and federal officials to get this project accomplished, but the outcome preserves a rare remnant of Charlotte’s history.” The first residents moved into the $23 million project, located at 12th and Brevard streets, in October 2006. Now nearing completion, Alpha Mill is close to fully leased, with the remaining apartments expected to fill by this summer. Converted mill residences feature exposed bricks, wooden beams, 12-foot windows and lofted ceilings as high as 17 feet. Amenities include a lounge with wireless Internet access, billiards and video arcade; a fitness center; an outdoor recreation area with a pool, Frisbee lawn, fireplace and grills; and two rooftop terraces with unobstructed views of uptown Charlotte. The apartments range from 416 to 1,367 square feet, with rents that range from $600 to more than $1,800 a month. The Alpha Cotton Mill was developed by industrialist D.A. Tompkins and was the home of the Carolina Textile Engraving Co. It later became Consolidated Engravers, which closed the facility in 2001. “Before we were a banking town, Charlotte was a textile town,” said Little. “Tompkins was one of this city’s true pioneers, as were John Crosland Sr. and John Crosland Jr., so it is fitting to celebrate our 70th anniversary in this setting.” Crosland has worked with the Historic Landmarks Commission before, when it preserved the venerable Latta Arcade on South Tryon Street in uptown. The company is also known for helping revive Charlotte’s urban edge areas, including the conversion of formerly crime-ridden public housing projects into award-winning affordable housing communities such as Arbor Glen and The Park at Oaklawn. The company built the Olmsted Park apartments and homes before there was a SouthEnd, was instrumental in the revitalization of Wilkinson Boulevard, and is in the process of redeveloping its former Scaleybark headquarters as transit-oriented development. The company’s anniversary party is a private event, but those interested in tours of the Alpha Mill apartments should visit www.alpha-mill.com. |
