Nearly a year after annexation, developers of just shy of two square miles in Leland have submitted plans for what they want a portion of the property to look like.
The property owners, along with Brunswick County Schools, recently filed plans to the town of Leland. While the plans do not show an entire two-mile development design, they do show potential of Jackey's Creek U.S. 17 frontage.
Jackeys Creek Investors, LLC, owns more than 1,400 acres and voluntarily requested annexation of a 1,139.77-acre area abutting Brunswick Forest in February 2023. The site, known as Jackey Creek, is located north of the Brunswick Forest and Mallory Creek subdivisions and south of the West Gate commercial area.
Since the town approved Jackey's Creek Investors annexation
into Leland nearly a year ago, more detailed plans for development are emerging.
How we got here
Leland Town Council in September 2025 approved the annexation and rezoning of the 1,220-acre Jackey's Creek property following a public hearing.
The applicant requested the entire property be zoned for both planned unit development and "flex code," setting a 1,200-unit cap on residential development.
Leland's flex code promotes development that provides daily needs within walking and biking distance, like a nail salon and a neighborhood grocery store. Some permitted uses in Leland's flex zone include townhomes, apartments, single family homes, retail uses, hotels, libraries, a conference center and more. In Leland, a planned unit development zoning allows for townhomes, apartments, single family units, restaurants, retail stores, office uses, hotels, religious institutions and recreational facilities.
Developers working in a flex code zone must determine the community unit type and submit a regulating plan with street and block layouts to the town before submitting development plans. The zone requires additional review and planning processes.
Preliminary plans for a new school
Roughly 75 acres of the property is for Brunswick County Schools to build a new elementary school.
Preliminary sketch plans submitted to the town of Leland, drawn by Sawyer, Sherwood and Associate Architecture, shows the new school having two connecting buildings with allotted space for future expansions. The plans also outline outdoor play areas, a multipurpose field and track, as well as a courtyard.
The sketch plans are only preliminary. A site plan has not been formally submitted and has not earned final approval.
Nature and community spotlighted in new plan
The initial proposed master land use plan consisted of mostly residential units with some commercial and school uses. However, a new plan shows a focus on community and nature spaces for a portion of the property directly off U.S. 17.
For roughly 375 acres of the project, developers have proposed installing a sport fields and courts, plaza, community garden and more near the main highway. Parks, walking trails, exercise stations, restrooms, pavilions, environmental education buildings, bird watching stations and a greenway are also highlighted in the plans, which were created by civil engineers with WithersRavenel.
The community plans have been denied twice since its July submittal and still await final approval as of Aug. 28.
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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Vision revealed for portion of Jackey's Creek site in Leland
