GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- A rezoning and annexation allows a sprawling mixed-use development in southeast Gastonia.

The project that passed unanimously at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting is 70 acres total, but four of those had to be annexed into the city limits. It will run south of Union New Hope Road between Wilson Farm Road and Union Road.

The development by David Hoyle & Benji Layman is slated to include:

200 townhomes over 27 acres
250 apartments (two-story) over 18 acres
140,000 square feet of commercial space

The townhomes will be serviced by a rear lane or alley, known as “rear-loaded.”

The commercial aspect will include a shopping center anchored by an unnamed grocery store, several standalone restaurants, and a gas station.

On April 4, the Gastonia Planning Commission voted 7-0 to approve the rezoning and recommend approval of the annexation. The city’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan indicates commercial use for the proposed site in the Garden Sector.

The property is south of Union New Hope Road, and the developer has agreed to enhanced landscaping between the grocery store parking lot and Union New Hope for additional screening.