For years, I’ve heard that the next big frontier in large-scale development is west Mecklenburg County.

That’s where large tracts of land lie, between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the Catawba River.

That’s exactly where Charlotte’s next Ballantyne will be built.

Crescent Communities and Lincoln Harris announced a joint project they’re referring to as the “River District” — a mixed use, walkable project that rivals the size of Ballantyne.

It will be about 1,300 acres at the start, with 40 percent reserved for trails and greenways. There will also be a waterfront gathering space that Charlotte has sorely needed.

Other features

• 8 million square feet of office space
• 500,000 square feet of retail
• 4,000 single-family homes and apartments
• Hotels
• Green space

This is all going to take a really long time.

But the first step is a rezoning, which should take place in the third quarter of 2016. This is a huge story. If everything comes to pass as planned, in 20 years we’ll be talking about the River District as a quintessential Charlotte thing.