A slice of Wrightsville Beach history is moving into downtown Wilmington this summer, when a second Redix location is slated to open at the corner of Front and Grace streets.
Instead of beach wares, a more refined inventory of apparel and outdoor gear will be offered at the new store, said Daniel Reddick, director of e-commerce and son of Gordon Reddick III, who opened the Wrightsville Beach retail fixture in 1969.
The details came together quickly. Reddick said the wheels began turning a few months ago, and improvements are already underway to get the 104 Grace St. space ready for a mid-May opening.
The decision to expand was influenced by growth witnessed in downtown Wilmington, Reddick said.
“Downtown’s growing, so I figured we might as well grow with it,” Reddick said.
The Wrightsville Beach retailer’s investment joins $264 million of investment popping up around downtown, said Wilmington Downtown Inc. (WDI) President and CEO Ed Wolverton during a March 4 luncheon. The surge of retailers setting up shop in downtown, including Coastal Urge and Outdoor Equipped, is part of the vision for downtown’s growth, he added.
“Our retail offerings continue to expand. Sometimes people just think about the dining or the entertainment, but they don’t really think about retail. We’re seeing more nice improvements in what’s happening with our retail mix,” Wolverton said.
Implementation of a municipal service district (MSD) could help the locally owned downtown Wilmington businesses continue to thrive and attract shoppers — a topic discussed by a panel of leaders in downtown development from Raleigh, Durham and Burlington, N.C., earlier in the March 4 event.
More than 50 cities across North Carolina have created a municipal service district, Wolverton said. Within the district’s boundaries, an additional property tax is levied to provide extra services to district residents and business owners. Based on a 2014 survey of more than 1,000 commercial and residential property owners downtown, Wolverton said most people would like to see the potential tax fund improve public safety, economic development, and cleanliness and maintenance in the area.
“It could give them extra resources to put safety ambassadors out on the street, to do extra landscaping, to make the area safer, cleaner and more appealing. They could go to retail trade shows and recruit new businesses to come in,” Wolverton said. “Now, there is a cost that goes with that. So people have to realize they’re going to get a value out of it. That’s where we are right now: defining what those services are, how they would work, what the value is.”
The decision to create a MSD will ultimately be made by Wilmington City Council, which requested WDI look into the possibility in 2014. A task force led by WDI held a public meeting in December 2014, and a second public information meeting is scheduled for March 12, 6 p.m., in the Coastline Conference and Event Center. The task force plans to present its findings to city council in May.
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