A realignment of River Road is expected to be complete by the end of this year, and more transformations are on the way for the corridor as a new master planned community takes shape.

 The latest announcements involving RiverLights, a 1,400-acre development with room for more than 2,300 homes, include the recent submittal of site plans to the city for two different neighborhoods and Marina Village, a feature of the project that could include 30,000 to 60,000 square feet of commercial space.

For now, the developer of RiverLights, Newland Communities, is in the process of choosing several homebuilders for a conventional neighborhood of 104 single-family homes and one builder for an age-qualified subdivision of 141 lots, each with nearly 2.5 acres set aside for amenities.

The age-qualified neighborhood will be geared toward residents who are ages 55 and older, a growing market, said Livian Jones, vice president of operations for RiverLights.

The development is expected to feature offerings that start in the low $200s, according to marketing materials.

Nancy Clemons, marketing manager for Newland Communities, said the firm handles sales a little bit differently than some other similar companies, bringing potential buyers to a welcome center to learn about Newland and the community before delivering them to model homes where chosen builders, sometimes partnering with a Realtor group, sell their own products.

“It’s a model that’s worked really well for us in 14 states,” Clemons said. 

Newland Communities projects that are similar to RiverLights include Briar Chapel in Chatham County, a 1,600-acre development opened in September 2008, and Wendell Falls in Wake County, scheduled to open in May, Clemons said.

For RiverLights, a summer 2016 grand opening will be a large event to kick off the community.

Many more programs in the development that will be open to the public will follow, Jones and Clemons said, including concerts and nature walks. 

“We’re going to be busy with a lot of events. I think there will be a big pull to have a constant flow of really great things going on at the water,” Clemons said.

An advantage of realigning River Road, Jones said, will be opening up more access to the Cape Fear River. RiverLights’ plans include a 112-slip marina and riverside parks.

Other changes coming to River Road are expected to include road work to provide access to the Vertex Rail Technologies rail car manufacturing plant at 202 Raleigh St.