History

The first Burbank & Associates community was Selwyn Farms, an infill community of 104 homesites in south Charlotte. Burbank left the John Crosland Company after its acquisition by Centex and was in search of a unique land position to launch the company's first homes. Burbank and construction vice president Dwight Marshall introduced a series of three- and four-bedroom homes with traditional trim and cornice details. This came at a time when most other builders were pursuing the trends of "transitional and contemporary" designs with elaborate gables. Burbank and his team focused on traditional home styles that blended well with the Selwyn Farms setting, were architecturally distinctive, yet could be delivered at relatively affordable prices.

Burbank merged with Saussy Construction, a respected custom building and renovation firm, in 1991 as it began construction of its first suburban community in south Charlotte, Beverly Crest. Principal Downie Saussy expanded the firm's expertise in working with the Realtor community and sales and construction programs tailored to "move up" market segments. At Beverly Crest, Saussy Burbank worked closely with land developer Standard Properties to blend a variety of price points and architectural styles into a setting that was formerly a farm and popular hunting site. Beverly Crest incorporated distinctive landscape and building architecture with sidewalks on both sides of the street to knit the community together. It was in Beverly Crest that Saussy Burbank introduced its popular Arts and Crafts-inspired Dilworth Collection homes, years ahead of most of its competitors in the building community.

Another notable Saussy Burbank community was Ballantyne Meadows in south Charlotte, a thriving community off Ballantyne Commons Road, in the heart of Ballantyne. Dilworth Bungalows, a smaller version of the Dilworth Collection, were introduced there. Twenty-two homes were sold in 21 days, with a waiting list of 60 names for the remaining 31 homes in Phase Two. In 1999, Saussy Burbank received national acclaim when one of its bungalow designs was named the best single-family home under 1,500 square feet in the Best in America Living Award competition (BALA), which drew 429 entries. BALA, the nation's foremost residential design competition, is co-sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders and Professional Builder magazine. "We were honored to receive the Gold Award. It underscored our commitment to creating affordable homes that support our founding principles of design and quality," said Burbank.

McNeill Burbank Builder Story

Located in Chapel Hill, NC, McNeill Burbank Homes, LLC has become one of the best known homebuilders in the Triangle area. Founded in 1992 by Al McNeill and Jim Burbank, McNeill Burbank is a subsidiary of the Charlotte-based homebuilder, Saussy Burbank.

McNeill Burbank homes can be found in some of the most desirable communities in the Triangle, such as the award-winning Southern Village in Chapel Hill, Falls River in Raleigh, Sunset Ridge in Holly Springs, and Heritage in Wake Forest. In 2000, Duke University chose McNeill Burbank as the sole builder for Trinity, a community designed specifically for Duke faculty and staff. Trinity received the 2000 George and Mary Pyne Historic Preservation Award, given by the Historic Preservation Society of Durham for the outstanding merit of this project.

Both McNeill Burbank and Saussy Burbank have consistently ranked extraordinarily high in customer satisfaction. They attribute much of this success to their commitment to a guiding principle: That each home should be unique and offer the same quality of design and craftsmanship, regardless of size or price point.

College Neighborhoods, Expansion and Infill

The Davidson College Development Corporation selected Saussy Burbank as the sole builder for home construction in McConnell, a traditional neighborhood created for Davidson College faculty and staff as well as the public. McConnell combined homes of various sizes and price points arranged around a central green. Saussy Burbank's design emphasis, vast portfolio of elevations and floor plans, and flexibility made it a natural fit for this neighborhood of 198 homes built over an eight year period from 1993 to 2000.

In 1998, Bank of America Community Development Corporation engaged Saussy Burbank to build 16 homes in Parkside, an infill community located in Charlotte's redeveloping First Ward community, blocks from Uptown. These 16 homes sold quickly and led to the addition of the Garden District's 37 single-family and three duplex homes, offered in late 2000. The Garden District homes sold within 16 months at prices ranging from the upper $200's to low $400's, price points that many would have thought unattainable in the Uptown area.

Saussy Burbank has built homes in the Triangle's Raleigh - Durham market since the early 90's through a subsidiary, McNeill Burbank homes. McNeill Burbank has built the same designs patterned in Charlotte including planned communities in Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Durham and Chapel Hill. McNeill Burbank's most intriguing work may be found in the bungalow homes built in Trinity Heights in Durham, homes built primarily for Duke University faculty and staff adjacent to the East Campus.

Saussy Burbank also constructed homes in Asheville's Biltmore Park from 1996 - 1999. In 2000, the firm expanded into the Charleston, South Carolina market with new offerings in the Legend Oaks and White Gables communities in the Summerville sub-market.