The future of 60 vacant acres in Wilmington is up for Debate
The debate is on. Should a vacant plot, totaling more than 60 acres, be kept as green space for the community or be converted into an apartment complex? The plot is located at 3990 Independence Boulevard, near the old Echo Farms golf course. New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple is advocating that county purchase the land to preserve the region’s greenspace and potentially create an ‘Airlie Gardens 2.0.’ At the same time, a Charlotte-based developer wants to buy the property to build a rental community made up of 512 apartments, 45 townhomes, and 25 single-family homes. The City of Wilmington Planning Commission will take up the issue at its November meeting, which could likely end with a formal recommendation for either the green space or apartment complex going in front of the full city council by the end of the year.
Rooftop Bar Coming to Southport
The Southport Townhall has approved plans to build a commerce/ entertainment center that will include a restaurant and a roof top bar. The location is at the former site of the Carr Insurance building on the corner of W. Nash and N. Howe streets. The plan is to build a 35-foot-tall three-story multi-use building that will include a restaurant with a rooftop bar, seven retail shops, office space and four rental units. The rental units are between 937-to-967 square feet and include personal decks. Construction is expected to take about 18 months. The project is expected to be finished in fall 2026
Pender County Releases Updated Flood Maps
Pender County has become the first Cape Fear county to finish redrawing its flood maps. You can find the updated maps online here. In many areas, the flood zones have expanded due to the increase in the Base Flood Elevation, which is the elevation of flood water resulting from a 1% annual chance of a storm event. The maps will be used to figure out flood insurance costs for property owners as well. The county will host an informational session on the maps at the Hampstead Annex from 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 to help teach people about the changes.
Leland Approves a New Plan to Control the Growth
On October 17th. the Leland Town Council approved the town’s 2030 Strategic Plan. The plan focusses on sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life for residents, and staying true to our core values. In the plan, goals are set in the areas of ‘Safe Community’, ‘Resilient, High-Quality Infrastructure and Environment’, ‘Communication and Engagement’, ‘Organizational Excellence’ and ‘Business and Neighborhood Enhancement.
New Hanover County to Build New Detox Center
Last month the New Hanover County commissioners approved the construction of a new detox center to be located at 1605 Robin Hood Road. The center will also be the only medical detox facility in the county, which has been without one since another center closed three years ago. The 14,000-square-foot facility will have 16 inpatient beds for non-hospital medical detox and a 2-bed transitional housing facility to help get people back on their feet. The commissioners awarded the construction contract to Thomas Construction Group. The estimated price of the project is $4.3 Million.