SouthPark apartment project underway with few changes a year after massive deadly fire

Construction is underway for apartments in SouthPark after one of Charlotte’s largest fires a year ago.

On May 18, 2023, a five-alarm fire broke out across two wood apartment structures at the Modera SouthPark project at 7740 and 7741 Liberty Row drives. Boca Raton, Florida-based developer Mill Creek Residential is working with Greensboro-based Hawthorne Residential Partners on the 239-unit project.

'FIRE! FIRE!': Lawsuit details timeline of when SouthPark blaze started, rescue efforts

The rapidly spreading fire is blamed on a generator failure in a spray-foam trailer on the ground at 7740 Liberty Row. Charlotte Fire Department rescued 15 workers but two men — Demonte Tyree Sherrill and Reuben Holme — were killed.

This month, eight permits were issued for the apartment project for upfits, additions and repairs worth over $20 million, city of Charlotte records show. MCRT Carolinas Construction LLC is listed as the contractor.

Officials with Mill Creek Residential and Hawthorne did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Charlotte Observer.

Demolition permits were issued in September and after several months, construction began again in January, Mill Creek senior managing director for the Carolinas told The Charlotte Business Journal. Demolition of 7740 building was down to the concrete slab, and the wood frame was removed from the second building, the CBJ reported.

The project is expected to be completed next spring.

Also this month, the families of both workers filed a federal lawsuit against the developer, contractors and related companies claiming they broke several laws and regulations. Sherrill and Holme were more than 460 feet from the only stairway exit on the sixth floor, state workplace safety inspectors found.

Local and state officials are making changes to standards and regulations to prevent similar tragedies.