Homestead Gardens

Progressive Companies provided design services in collaboration with multiple local stakeholders including the Town of Chapel Hill, Self-Help, CASA, Community Home Trust, and Orange County Habitat on a greenfield, mixed-income housing development located at 2200 Homestead Road. The project broke ground in spring 2026, supported by funding from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, Orange County grants, private grants, Orange County HOME funds, Town of Chapel Hill Community Development Block Grants, and private donations. The approximately five-acre project includes 127 residential units in a mix of garden-style apartments, internal corridor apartments, townhouses, and duplexes. Each building type is designed to meet distinct energy performance standards driven by funding requirements, including NCHFA SHARP, Advanced Energy System Vision, and NGBS Silver, all under the HUD umbrella. Site amenities include connections to Town greenway trails, a community garden, a basketball court, playground, and picnic pavilion.

Since the inception of this project, Progressive Companies guided the community engagement and program analysis for the project. We worked iteratively with Town staff and other stakeholders to develop multiple master plan options for the project site which were evaluated against the adjusted goals of the Town and its constituents. A single conceptual plan was presented to Town Council which we then successfully developed with the site consultant and other team members through the Town’s Conditional Zoning approval process. At each phase of the project, Progressive Companies contributed to presentations which illustrate and communicate the goals of the project to the community, project stakeholders, and Town staff.