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Monday, March 18, 2024

Buddy’s bought as part of long-term plan

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After recently changing ownership, the future is uncertain for Wrightsville Beach bar Buddy’s Crab House beyond a temporary shutdown for renovations. It could reopen as a bar, but its new owners would prefer to reopen it as a restaurant — the first step in their plan to transform the entire district.

The bar’s new owner, Tom Kievit of Coastal N.C. Real Estate LLC, also owns the 1.1-acre vacant lot behind Johnnie Mercer’s Pier. His short-term goal of improving Buddy’s is part of a long-term plan to upgrade the whole area with a three-level commercial and residential development called Island Center.

Buddy’s won’t actually be part of Island Center. But since visitors would pass by Buddy’s on their way to patronizing the Island Center shops and dining, the owners want to control Buddy’s appearance and operations, development consultant Cameron Zurbruegg said.

They have already landscaped and cleaned trash and debris around the bar’s exterior, and, at the very least, they plan to add basic interior upgrades like air conditioning. Zurbruegg hopes to start renovations by March 1.

Buddy’s might reopen as a bar under the management of business owner Buddy Wiles. But if Zurbruegg can get the necessary permits, he will reopen the property as a restaurant. He already has interested tenants but he needs a conditional use permit from the town.

All restaurants now require conditional use permits, director of planning and parks Tony Wilson said, which gives the town and residents more control over their operations. The town can set conditions on the permits, like limiting hours of operation and outdoor noise.

Zurbruegg does plan to have outdoor seating, but he’s hoping for some leniency from the town because Buddy’s was a restaurant previously — his proposal just reverts the property back into its original use, he said.

While he goes through the town’s conditional use process, which includes multiple public hearings, he will try to move forward with developing the adjacent 1.1-acre vacant lot. He has a conditional use permit to develop a project there called The Helm, but he would rather build Island Center because it offers more high-quality commercial space.

Island Center is also proposed to be taller — 10 feet over the town’s 40-foot limit — and for that reason, Zurbruegg needs more than just a conditional use permit to build it.

Building height is a highly emotional issue at Wrightsville Beach, he acknowledged. During a 2015 public hearing on a proposed tweak to the town’s height ordinance, town leaders and residents cited fears of a Myrtle Beach-like skyline as reason to adamantly uphold the 40-foot limit. To avoid a similar response, Zurbruegg has devised a way to build a taller project at his property without allowing similar developments elsewhere.

He will seek a rezoning called an overlay district, which has been used in Carolina Beach but not Wrightsville Beach. It would grant exceptions to town laws like height only at his specific building site.

“It won’t be disruptive for the rest of the island,” he said.

And the definition of a 40-foot structure at Wrightsville Beach has changed over the years, Zurbruegg pointed out. The town used to measure building height from the top of the nearest fire hydrant but now it measures from street level, so an older residence adjacent to the proposed Island Center is nearly 49 feet tall.

Zurbruegg said he has communicated his plans to nearby residents and businesses and received a positive response. They want more services near Johnnie Mercer’s Pier so they don’t have to walk down to the central business district for quality dining and shopping.

“There is so much overwhelming support from the community,” he said. “They’re not concerned about 50 feet, they just want to see something more attractive that provides the town some amenities.”

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