WILMINGTON — Plans have been submitted for the land left behind by a local bowling alley last year, along with several other developments across the city.
READ MORE: 580-unit development under consideration, commissioner advocates for conservation
There are four multi-family developments making their way through the technical review process before heading to the planning commission. The largest, a 456-unit mixed-use complex on Shipyard Boulevard, could replace what was formerly Cardinal Lanes. The bowling alley closed in May 2023 and the lot now sits empty after the building was razed.
Owner Ronnie Schnell told WECT he received an unbeatable offer from The Oleander Company — behind South Forest Hill and Lincoln Forest — to forgo the remaining four years on his lease of the property. He was told the group planned to develop the land’s 50 acres.
Over a year later, the land owner is wanting to rezone the property from office and institutional use to a mixed-use district to accommodate a 414,732 square feet of residential space and 43,600 square feet of commercial offerings.
Other developing projects from downtown to midtown include 60 townhome units in Barclay Hills, eight townhome units at the corner of Kidder and S. Third streets and 17 townhomes along Holly Tree Road.
Shipyard Apartments
While not utilizing the full 50 acres in both owned parcels, The Oleander Company’s Shipyard Apartments, formerly occupied by Cardinal Lanes, will span nearly 30 acres.
According to the site plan for 3907 Shipyard Blvd., there will be 19 buildings constructed at 21,828 square feet each, to include 24 units per building. There will be an equal number — 28 — of one and two-bedrooms.
The commercial component will span two buildings, each three stories, and will face Shipyard Boulevard with the property’s entrance situated adjacent, off the same road. A clubhouse and leasing building will also contribute to the lot coverage of 17.4%.
The concrete and asphalt currently on site, leftover from Cardinal Lanes, will be removed, though 56% of the property will remain impervious surface. A total of 883 parking spaces are accommodated in the site plan.
The development will extend behind Trillium Health Resources and a road will connect to the Live Oak Bank office area on Tiburon Drive.
The developer on the project is Robert Hollis, manager of Wilmington-based Shipyard Apartments LLC. The civil engineering firm is Norris & Tunstall.
Cape Landing Apartments
Another apartment complex is planned for an undeveloped, triangular parcel at 520 Mosley St. The plan is to place 60 units across 11 buildings, each holding between four and six units. There will be a mixture of one and two bedrooms.
The land is owned by Cape Landing Apartments LLC, a subsidiary of the Charlotte-based Greenway Residential Development. This will be the company’s first Wilmington project. CSD Engineering is also involved.
The company’s assistant vice president, Mark Richardson, told the Wilmington Business Journal in January the units would be affordable for at least 30 years, with apartments for those who make 30% of the area median income, 60%, and 80%.
Now that the property is zoned MD-10 (medium-density multiple-dwelling residential district), this development is allowed by-right, as long as it meets technical and land-code standards.
Surrounded by single family lots, the property will include most buildings lining the perimeter, with two structures and a clubhouse making up the center. There will be 123 parking spaces located in the interior.
The development will be accessible via Mosley Street near its intersection with Johnson Street. Trip estimations included in the site plan state indicate 20 generated during morning and evening peak hours.
Impervious surface will total 154,739, making up 23.6% of lot coverage, and the developer is providing 80,838 square feet of open space. There are no wetlands on site.
Because the land is undeveloped, the project will require significant tree removal; around 650 are marked for clearing and around 140 are to be saved.
Moonlight Landing
Almost 20 townhome units are planned for 2.54 acres at 5030, 5032 and 5034 Moonlight Lane. The property will be accessible via Holly Tree Road near the turn onto Joy Place.
Most of the units are clustered in a line along Holly Tree Road, with four units located opposite the access road. The building footprint will be 50% of the property. The land is also located in a Coastal Area Management Act watershed resource protection area. These are environmentally sensitive corridors located near a body of water.
The property’s current zoning is R7 for low-density residential use and will need a conditional zoning approval for the townhomes to be placed there. Surrounding properties include single-family homes and undeveloped land owned by the City of Wilmington.
The developer on this project is Moonlight Landing LLC, based in Wrightsville Beach and managed by real-estate agent Frederick Barton. Paramounte Engineering is also involved.
Metropoli Townhomes
A total of eight townhomes are set to be tucked into the intersection of Kidder and Simon streets, just off S. Third Street. They will replace the metal building currently on the property fronting S. Third. The property is surrounded by commercial and residential uses, though it is zoned urban-mixed use.
Developed by Wilmington-based architect Kevin Pfirman and Headwaters Engineering of the Cape Fear, the site plan shows a total of two buildings zig-zagging the perimeter of the property. Each unit will have two bedrooms. The buildings will be located toward S. Third St. while parking is near Simon Street, with a proposed fence along the roadway. The site plan also indicates the property will be gated.
The five trees located on the property will be removed.
Reach journalist Brenna Flanagan at brenna@localdailymedia.com.
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