Not far from where one Wilmington development is rapidly building sits another with no visible signs of progress.
A mixed-use development known as The Avenue is planned for a nearly 45-acre tract around the 300 block of Military Cutoff Road that had once housed the Hidden Lakes Mobile Home community. The development is to be built on land encompassing a number of addresses, including 347, 349 and 565 Military Cutoff Road, 302 and 306 Lance Drive and 128 East Westwood Drive, according to site plans.
CIP Construction, a division of The Carroll Companies, calls The Avenue “one of the most unconventional assets” in its portfolio. The development is planned for retail, restaurants, boutiques, office space and 500 luxury apartments as well as a Westin
Hotel with a spa and conference space. The company’s website calls it a “new benchmark for luxury and style in the Southeast.”
A project ‘in development’
While another nearby mixed-use development, Center Point, is close to opening at the intersection of Eastwood and Military Cutoff roads, The Avenue project is not showing obvious signs of progress.
The company’s website lists The Avenue as being “in development.” Several messages left for The Carroll Companies inquiring about the project’s status were not returned prior to deadline.
Signs at the site, which has a large pile of soil near pieces of construction equipment, advertise “Modern Style” and “Old World Charm.”
What the project entails
Plans call for 13 buildings over nearly 500,000 square feet. Ten of those buildings are to house retail, restaurant and office space, with residential units above them.
A six-story and four-story parking structure would provide nearly 1,200 parking spaces.
The $200 million-plus project has been in the works for several years. Plans for the development became public in 2017. The Avenue was released for construction on Feb. 8, 2024.
Things are happening in the busy area. Earlier this summer, Center Point announced the first four commercial tenants for its project on an 18-acre site in the Mayfaire corridor at 1541 Eastwood Road.
That $500 million project is to include more than 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces as well as residential and office components. The housing part of the project, known as The Sterling, will comprise 265 apartment units. Openings for The Sterling are projected for this winter through early 2027.
Meanwhile, what would be the first Chase Bank in Wilmington is planned for 1331 Military Cutoff Road, the site of the former Wild Wing Cafe. A project review for Chase Mayfaire, as the project is known, was completed for the 3,319-square-foot bank and the project was released for construction on Feb. 18, according to city public records.
The branch will open next year, JPMorganChase spokesperson Caroline Hicks said. She added a new Chase branch in Hampstead has a grand opening scheduled for Sept. 23.
The 1.2-acre site, zoned regional business, was purchased by CC Landfall, LLC for $30.75 million on Aug. 31, 2022, per New Hanover County property records.
Bob Liepa is the city of Wilmington and public safety reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at RLiepa@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: On a Wilmington road, one development growing fast while another stalls
