Downtown Wilmington will be the destination for much of the city’s anticipated population growth and community and business leaders recently got a view of the new apartments, hotels, restaurants and recreational activities that will help support this expansion.
Developers of a handful of residential, commercial and retail projects delivered a view of Wilmington’s future in a presentation titled “Downtown’s Changing Skyline: A Six-pack of Projects.”
The projects included an office building in the historic district, midrise apartments in downtown and several projects near the Cape Fear River. The projects don’t only mean new places to live, eat and shop, but will also mean more jobs, said Ed Wolverton, president and CEO of Wilmington Downtown Inc.
“It’s a really exciting time,” Wolverton said. “These projects will contribute to growing the economic base for the entire community.”
Wilmington Mayor Pro-Tem Margaret Haynes, who attended the presentation, said the projected growth required these new developments.
“People have discovered Wilmington,” she said. “They want to come downtown and live by the river.”
Newly elected Wilmington City Council member Paul Lawler said the projects showed that “the pieces are coming together” for downtown redevelopment.
First proposed in 2010, the 93 units in City Block Apartments at 814 North Third Street are 83 percent occupied, with an average rent of $1,109 a month, said developer Tom Davis.
High-quality Class A office space will be available at the 101 North Third five-story office building located on the corner of Princess and Third streets, across from the courthouse and city hall, said project-developer Brian Eckel. When developing the project, which is connected to a city-owned parking deck, workers uncovered a time capsule. Eckel said developers put the capsule back where they found it, but not before adding a few new, modern items.
The redevelopment of the Water Street parking deck at the corner of Chestnut and Nutt streets will leverage a partnership with the city government to build River Place of Wilmington, said developer Lee Perry. At 132 feet tall, the development will conform with height restrictions while bringing more retail options back downtown, “respecting the past while blending it with the future,” he said.
Several of the developments will offer riverfront locations.
Sawmill Point Apartments will offer 280 units on a Cape Fear River location just south of the Isabel Holmes Bridge. Developer Blair Booth said the development will feature 800 feet of river frontage, access to the Riverwalk, a pool with a view of the river and a hammock garden.
Another riverfront project will offer dining and entertainment with access to boaters through a high-end marina. Developer Chuck Schoninger said the concrete docks at Port City Marina will cater to upper class, high-end yachts.
“We call them the big boy yachts,” Schoninger said.
The Port City Marina will feature a pier and a band shell that can accommodate up to 5,000 visitors, he said. Located downtown next to the Wilmington Convention Center, the marina will include the BlackFinn Ameripub and Vidia Mexican restaurants and Hotel Indigo. Schoninger said the developers conducted an exhaustive search for the right hotel for the project.
“We don’t like mediocrity,” he said. “We had some inferior hotels try for the space, but we stuck to our guns. We like masterpieces.”
Adding to the options at the marina will be Pier 33 Apartments, which developer Todd Saieed said will feature 300 units and ground floor retail space, with construction expected to begin in fall 2016.
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