The repurposing of Independence Boulevard could bring more apartments to Wilmington, NC

A property on Independence Boulevard has recently been the subject of discussion as it could soon be rezoned to allow for hundreds of rental units. But a New Hanover County commissioner says the property could potentially be used to provide green space for residents.

The 60.9-acre property at 3990 Independence Boulevard could be home to 580 rental units if the Wilmington City Council approves a rezoning. The community would include 512 apartments, 43 townhomes and 25 single-family homes.

Currently, only 35% of the property is zoned for the proposed project, with the remaining 65% zoned for industrial use. Therefore, applicant Cindee Wolf of Design Solutions is requesting a rezoning on behalf of Northwood Ravin.

According to Northwood Ravin’s website, the company was founded by David Ravin and John Z. Kukral and focuses on developing, building and managing luxury rental and mixed-use properties in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Kukral, former president and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, has been involved in more than $43 billion in real estate transactions worldwide. Blackstone owns and manages more than 300,000 rental properties in the United States, making it the largest landlord in the country, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. Ravin has developed more than 75 multifamily communities with a market value of more than $6 billion, according to the company’s website.

Community meeting held

Wolf held a community meeting on September 9, where mostly members of nearby Echo Farms met and discussed traffic along Independence Boulevard, relocating wildlife from existing forests and stormwater management. The proposed development would be located next to the Echo Farms villas and near Westwood at Echo Farms.

In a letter to Wilmington City Clerk Penelope Spicer-Sidbury, Wolf wrote that the consensus was “no more development,” but that there were no specific or valid justifications for hindering the project.

With the current general industrial zoning, she noted, the type of increased truck traffic that could be generated by the current permitted uses would have a greater impact on Independence Boulevard than what is proposed.

History of the property

The property, called Bryan Farm by some, was originally deeded to the county by Wilmington resident Flossie Bryan, who wanted it to become a public open space for gardening and agriculture. previous reporting from StarNews.

In the early 2000s, the county went back and forth with Bryan’s heirs over her will, eventually reaching an agreement to give the heirs a third of the property in 2006.

The county considered selling the tract around 2007, but potential buyers never followed through because the real estate market was unstable at the time, according to previous StarNews reporting. The county also considered a park or public gardening space with heir approval, but plans for the Cape Fear Skyway, a proposed toll bridge connection between New Hanover and Brunswick counties, would have disrupted the property.

County Manager Chris Coudriet gave a brief overview of the property’s twenty-year history with the county during a recent board meeting. In 2022, after heirs asked for their share of the property, the county went to court again to ask for changes to the original court order.

Coudriet noted that because of the original agreement, the province could not simply give them their share. The changes disrupted the bidding process that the court manages and oversees. The winner will have to go to the City Council to have the property rezoned before they close the property, Coudriet said. This is to ensure that they can continue with the highest and best use of the property, which was part of the agreement.

If the repurposing is successful, Coudriet says, the developer will theoretically own the property. But if not, the land will remain co-owned by the county and Bryan’s heirs.

More development news: A Wilmington neighborhood already bordered by shopping centers is fighting “harmful” changes

Green space proposal

Commissioner Dane Scalise, who said he recently heard about the rezoning, suggested investigating how the property could be preserved if the rezoning fails.

He said he only recently realized the county owns some of the property.

“I don’t think we have a lot of that in the city and it’s right in the heart of the city of Wilmington. It seems like a golden opportunity for us to preserve and expand the green space,” Scalise told StarNews.

In 2011, Jim McDaniel, former director of New Hanover County Parks and Gardens, told StarNews that the property was perfect for farming and gardening because it has fertile soil and varied topography.

Scalise said redesigning Airlie Gardens in a new way, or creating another passive park like Hanover Pines Nature Park, could be some ideas.

“We’re a small county, we’re going to have to continue to build in some cases, but we have to be deliberate about the when and where associated with that future building,” Scalise said. “And where we have the opportunity to create new green space that can be preserved forever, I think we should at least consider it very seriously.”

Scalise said he realizes it may be too late for this property in particular, but if the City Council decides against the rezoning, he would prefer the county work out an agreement with Bryan’s heirs so they can get their get a share of the property and at the same time also get their share of the property. creating a space for the public to enjoy.

To do this, Coudriet said he believes the county should go back to court to get another modification of the court order, but told the board to consult their attorney. Scalise said working with the New Hanover Community Endowment, the city, the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, or securing funding through state or federal resources could be options in the future.

Wilmington City Councilman Luke Waddell told the StarNews that he also just heard about the location, but that if the property could potentially be turned into green space, it is something that should be seriously considered.

Waddell said he hadn’t looked at the site plans yet because the rezoning application had not yet been submitted to the city’s planning commission, but the idea of preserving green space on the Independence Boulevard corridor is something that sounds palatable to him .

What do residents want?

Wilmington residents and those in the area have been outspoken about their hopes for the future, urging local leaders to prioritize green space. Longtime Wilmington resident Julie Hurley said she hopes the city’s planning commission will advise the council to vote no on the rezoning request.

Hurley said elected officials don’t have to be “reactive” to a developer’s application, but instead change things up and decide what the community wants and what the best interest of the existing community is before rezoning.

Because the county is surrounded by water and space is limited because the county is fairly well built up, Hurley said it is now important to be proactive in determining which spaces can be preserved.

Hurley said the opportunity is a “no-brainer,” and she liked the idea Scalise proposed because it would allow the county to purchase a third of the property for affordable housing and dedicate the rest as green space. to leave. This would allow the heirs to get their share.

What’s next?

The Wilmington Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the rezoning on November 13 at 6 p.m. From there, the rezoning application would go to the City Council, but the date has yet to be determined.