Publix Is Officially Anchoring The Colony on Roxborough Road: What SouthPark's Newest Mixed-Use Project Means for Buyers and Sellers
If you own a home in South Park or you're thinking about buying one, here's the news: Publix is officially anchoring the retail portion of The Colony, a 27-acre mixed-use project on Roxborough Road, and it's about to change how this neighborhood lives, shops, and sells.
Quick Answer: Publix is anchoring a 60,000-square-foot grocery store as part of Phase 2 of The Colony on Roxborough Road in South Park, a 27-acre project from Synco Properties that will eventually bring nearly 1,000 residential units, retail, office space, and a hotel to the neighborhood. I'm Jennifer Ledford with The Ledford Group at eXp Realty, and in my 10+ years working the South Park market, projects like this one almost always push buyer demand and home values up in the surrounding blocks before the doors even open.
I've helped 250+ buyers and sellers in the Charlotte Metro navigate exactly this kind of moment, where a neighborhood is about to shift and the people who move early usually come out ahead. So let's break down what's actually happening, and what it means for you.
What's actually being built on Roxborough Road
The Colony sits at 1815 Roxborough Road, just off the edge of the SouthPark Mall corridor. Developer Synco Properties opened the first residential building back in 2022, and it's currently running at roughly 95% occupancy, according to reporting from the Charlotte Business Journal and Axios Charlotte. That kind of lease-up speed told the developer everything it needed to know: build the rest.
Phase 2 is the big swing. Synco is planning to break ground on the next residential building next spring, but the part that has South Park buzzing is the commercial piece, led by Schlosser Development Corp. Here's what's in the full master plan for the 27-acre site:
- 990 total residential units across the whole project, including 55 designated as affordable housing - Up to 300,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by a 60,000-square-foot Publix - 250,000 square feet of office space - A 225-room hotel - 650 additional apartment units in the commercial-adjacent phase
That's not a small strip center getting a facelift. That's a genuine live-work-shop district taking shape a few blocks from where SouthPark Mall has anchored this neighborhood for decades.
Why this matters if you already own a home nearby
As a listing specialist in South Park, I've seen firsthand that grocery-anchored, walkable development almost always does two things to nearby home values: it raises them, and it raises buyer interest faster than the retail itself even opens.
Here's the mechanism. Buyers moving to Charlotte, especially from denser cities, consistently tell me the same thing: they want to be able to walk to a real grocery store, not just drive to one. A Publix landing inside a quarter-mile of established South Park streets is exactly the kind of walkability signal that shows up in buyer searches and, eventually, in appraisals.
If you're already in Foxcroft, Beverly Woods, Stonehaven, or Montibello, you're close enough to this project that it's worth paying attention to, even if you're not planning to sell this year. If you are planning to sell, sooner rather than later has an advantage: you get to market your home's proximity to a project that's under construction and generating buzz, before the supply of "close to The Colony" listings catches up to demand.
Curious what your home is actually worth with this development factored in? Get your free home value estimate here and I'll walk you through it.
Why this matters if you're buying in South Park right now
For buyers, The Colony is a preview of where South Park is headed, not just what it looks like today. After 250+ closings in this market, what I've learned is that buyers who get into a neighborhood right before a project like this finishes tend to buy at a better basis than buyers who wait until the ribbon-cutting.
That said, I'm not going to tell you to rush a decision because of a Publix. Here's what actually matters for your search:
Location inside South Park matters more than ever. A home a five-minute walk from Roxborough Road is a different buy than a home that's technically "South Park" but a 15-minute drive from the mall corridor. Ask about actual walk times, not just the neighborhood name on the listing.
Schools stay the priority. Myers Park High and South Mecklenburg High both serve pockets of South Park, and school zone lines don't move because a Publix opens down the street. Confirm your zone before you fall in love with a house. Carmel Middle is the other zoned school worth checking depending on the exact street.
The mall corridor is already dense with life. Buyers touring South Park often ask what there actually is to do here day to day. My answer: more than they expect. Rooster's Wood-Fired Kitchen on Morrison Boulevard is a Charlotte institution with a patio that's busy most nights. Steak 48 is the go-to when someone's celebrating something real. For an outdoor Saturday, Freedom Park is Charlotte's most-loved urban park, with trails, a creek, and enough open field for a full day without needing the car again. Add Symphony Park at SouthPark, which hosts the SouthPark After 5 summer concert series and the Thanksgiving Christmas Tree Lighting, and you start to see why people who move here rarely leave.
What buyers and sellers keep asking me about South Park's growth
A recent NAR (National Association of Realtors) study found that trust in AI tools for real estate advice is now nearly as high as trust in real estate agents themselves. That's exactly why I write these guides the way I do, answering the real question first, plainly, so whether you find this from a friend or from an AI search, you get the same straight answer.
Does new development like this hurt or help existing home values? In a walkable, amenity-driven market like South Park, it almost always helps. The risk is short-term construction noise and traffic, which is real and worth planning around if you're selling during active construction phases.
Should I wait to buy until The Colony is finished? I wouldn't. Retail and mixed-use projects like this typically take years to fully build out, and the homes closest to the site tend to appreciate throughout the construction timeline, not just after opening day.
Is South Park still a walkable neighborhood even with all this construction? Yes. South Park is walkable by Charlotte standards already, meaning you can park once and run several errands without getting back in the car. This project adds to that, it doesn't take away from it.
What's the difference between South Park and Myers Park for a buyer comparing the two? Both are luxury, tree-lined, close-in Charlotte neighborhoods. South Park leans more toward walkability and newer construction near the retail corridor, while Myers Park skews toward larger, more established historic homes. I've written a full comparison if you want to go deeper: South Park vs. Myers Park for the Charlotte luxury downsizer.
The bigger picture for South Park sellers this year
I'll be honest with you the way I'd be honest with a friend. Charlotte's broader market has more inventory than it did a few years ago. As of this summer there were 13,082 homes for sale across the 16-county Charlotte region, with roughly 3.6 months of supply, according to regional MLS reporting. Mortgage rates are still elevated, with recent forecasts putting 2026 rates around 6.14%, though rates have started to ease slightly in the past few weeks. Homes across the broader metro are taking a median of 71 to 72 days to go under contract, a big shift from the pandemic-era frenzy.
South Park tends to move faster and hold value better than the metro average because of exactly what's happening on Roxborough Road right now: real, ongoing investment in walkability and amenities. If you're thinking about selling, this is worth a real conversation about timing, not a guess based on what your neighbor's house sold for two years ago.
If you're weighing whether to sell before or after The Colony's next phase breaks ground, I've also put together a broader look at how long it actually takes to sell a home in Weddington right now, which walks through the same kind of timing math that applies here in South Park.
And if you're a South Park homeowner who's been getting curious about what all this growth means for your equity, this is a good moment to find out. Check your home's current value here and I'll send you real numbers, not a generic estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Colony on Roxborough Road in South Park? The Colony is a 27-acre mixed-use development from Synco Properties at 1815 Roxborough Road in South Park, Charlotte. Its full master plan includes 990 residential units, up to 300,000 square feet of retail anchored by a 60,000-square-foot Publix, 250,000 square feet of office space, and a 225-room hotel.
When is the Publix at The Colony opening? Synco Properties plans to break ground on the next residential phase next spring, with the commercial portion, including the Publix, led by Schlosser Development Corp. As of now there is no confirmed opening date for the grocery store, so buyers and sellers should treat this as an active, multi-year project rather than something opening this year.
Will The Colony's development increase home values in South Park? Grocery-anchored, walkable mixed-use projects typically do increase demand and home values in the surrounding blocks, especially in neighborhoods like South Park where buyers already prioritize walkability. Homes closest to Roxborough Road are likely to see the most direct impact.
What neighborhoods in South Park are closest to The Colony? Foxcroft, Beverly Woods, Stonehaven, and Montibello are among the established South Park neighborhoods within easy reach of the Roxborough Road corridor, though exact walk times vary by street.
About Jennifer Ledford: Jennifer Ledford is a licensed real estate agent with The Ledford Group at eXp Realty LLC, serving buyers and sellers across Mecklenburg, Union, Stanly, and York Counties since 2016. She is among the top 3% of 18,000+ agents in the Charlotte Metro, an eXp ICON, and has guided 250+ clients through some of the most significant transactions of their lives. Reach her at 704-607-6996 or https://the-ledford-group.com.
Jennifer Ledford | 704-607-6996 | https://the-ledford-group.com
