Green Street Cottages begins construction of 64 homes at Cramerton Mills

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Real Estate continues to recover in the Mecklenburg County area and local homebuilder Green Street Cottages is aiming to capitalize on growing demand for traditional single-family homes with a new construction project at Cramerton Mills in nearby Gaston County.

Construction has begun on the first phase of the neighborhood and the public is invited to a grand opening celebration on Dec. 3, according to a release from the company.

The first phase will consist of 64 three- and four-bedroom Craftsman-style homes ranging in size from 1,800 square feet to 3,500 square feet and starting in the $290,000s. Standard features will include oversized front porches, 10-foot ceilings and 8-foot doors on the first floor and granite countertops throughout.

The homes will be certified through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Homes program and on average will be 65 percent more energy efficient than a typical new home. The addition of a solar photovoltaic system can offset most or all of the annual energy consumption of a certified Zero Energy Ready Home. The energy costs for a 4,300-square-foot pilot home constructed by Green Street Cottages averaged $140 per month without the photovoltaic system.

With 500 homes planned, The Villages at Cramerton Mills will be the largest Zero Energy Ready Home community in the Southeast. Green Street Cottages is using sustainable building products during construction, and every home will include additional green features such as a Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling system and an advanced energy monitoring system. The entire community was designed using low-impact development principles, including the use of bioswales instead of curbs and gutters.

Bioswales are a new type of landscape element designed with the goal of removing silt and pollution from surface runoff water. The sides of the drainage ditch are gently sloped at an angle of less than 6 percent and filled with vegetation, compost and sometimes riprap.

Located off of Hamrick Road along the South Fork of the Catawba River and next to Cramer Mountain Club’s golf course, The Villages at Cramerton Mills will be a walkable, mixed-use community including single-family homes, apartments, restaurants, retail and office space. Founded in 2012, Green Street Cottages is headed by Nick Parker, who is partnering with Bowman Development Group on the mixed-use development.

“This is a rare opportunity for homebuyers to purchase an energy-efficient home in a walkable environment surrounded by some of the best outdoor amenities in the region,” said Parker in the release. “The Villages at Cramerton Mills has been several years in the making, and we are excited to see it come to life.”

The grand opening event on Dec. 3 will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at 310 Hamrick Road and will include barbecue from Queen City Q, JJ’s Red Hots hot dogs and cupcakes from Southern Cake Queen. Attendees will enjoy ornament decorating with the Crowned Sparrow and a holiday cookie decorating station by Williams-Sonoma. On-site entertainment will include a live radio remote by 107.9 The Link, caroling and giveaways of Carolina Panthers tickets and a 55-inch energy-efficient Samsung TV.

Cathy Young of Allen Tate will handle new home sales for The Villages at Cramerton Mills. The development team includes general contractor Thomas Construction & Restoration, civil engineering firm Amicus Partners and home performance contractor AppleBlossom Energy.

Founded in 2012 and headed by Nick Parker, Concord-based Green Street Cottages develops sustainable and cost-effective single-family homes that feature innovative advances in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable building products and indoor air quality.