A developer with an active presence in the Triangle is looking to bring more housing options to Johnston County.
Construction on Spinning Mill Lofts started last week with delivery expected by Q3 2023, said Thomas Taft Jr., principal at Greenville-based Taft Family Ventures. The apartment complex, located just southeast of downtown Clayton near Main Street, will include 255 units.
This project has long been in the works, as Taft said the land was closed on in 2018 back when Clayton was one of the fastest-growing places in the Greater Triangle – a trend that has only accelerated since then.
"The location was a big driver," Taft said. "Clayton was a great idea three years ago. It's an even better idea now."
Taft Development Group, the development arm of Taft Family Ventures, is working with its joint venture partner New Bern-based UHF Development on the project. The company is also working with local design firms Planworx Architecture, Ross/Deckard Architects, and Bass Nixon & Kennedy Inc. on the new construction, historic renovations and civil engineering elements of the project, respectively.
A major part of this project is 25 units will be located inside the more-than-century-old mill on the property. Those units feature 25 different floor plans, Taft said.
"Some of them will feature actual lofts, so the living space would be up above the kitchen with an open living room, which has 20-foot ceilings and exposed beams," Taft said.
Amenities will also be located in the old mill, and include a swimming pool, coworking spaces, gym, bicycle repair station and a small historic section showing the different bits and pieces of the old mill.
This is one of several projects in the works for Taft Family Ventures locally. Elsewhere in the Triangle, the company last year filed plans for a 190-unit apartment complex in Raleigh and a senior living facility in Wake Forest.
Clayton is one of the hottest areas in the Greater Triangle for new residential and commercial development. Last month, the town council approved plans for the Copper District. The project includes plans for hundreds of thousands of square feet of Class A office space, up to 480 apartments, up to 140 single-family homes and 120 hotel rooms.
Evan Hoopfer covers real estate and economic development in the Greater Triangle, focusing on the counties outside Wake and Durham. Have a tip? Reach him at ehoopfer@bizjournals.com or (919) 327-1012.
