| Leland, NC
Story by Hilary Brady
Photography by Logan Wallace
Renderings and Illustrations Courtesy of LS3P Associates, Ltd.
The quaint Brunswick County town of Belville has experienced tremendous change and notable growth since its incorporation in 1977, but nothing like what’s in store with its new Downtown, or Central Business District (CBD), project.
The small town of Belville is situated in the northeast quadrant of Brunswick County along the Brunswick River, just 3.5 miles south of historic downtown Wilmington and the Cape Fear River. The town center lies at the intersection of U.S. Highways 74/76, N.C. Highway 133 and U.S. Highway 17. Encompassing a total of 1,100 acres with a population of 1,400, the town limits cover a smattering of areas, including a portion of Stoney Creek subdivision off U.S. 17, a portion of Birch Creek off Ploof Road, all of the Glendale subdivision off Old Fayetteville Road, the Waterford commercial area, as well as the small triangle of land nestled at the intersection of highways 17, 133 and 74/76.
The 80-acre area of town near the highway intersection, previously only a pass-through for travelers, will soon become an elaborate mixed-use development of residential, commercial, retail and dining options. Architecture reminiscent of Southern historic riverfront cities will allow guests and residents to enjoy all the character and convenience Wilmington, Charleston or Savannah without the drive.
The proposal for the one-million-square-foot Belville center includes commercial space, town hall offices, waterfront restaurants, more than 125,000 square feet of retail units, a waterfront hotel with the possibility of 250 rooms, close to 1,200 water-view and interior-view condominiums and apartments, a plaza and town square, numerous open spaces, a 200-slip marina with private and public slips, dry-stack boat storage, and a waterfront promenade and boardwalk with restaurants, entertainment and transient docking.
The new downtown Belville will resemble King Street in Charleston or Front Street in Wilmington. Brick buildings will line the streets, with courtyards and parking areas tucked away for resident use, in order to maintain the small-town appeal. Large sidewalks will accommodate window shoppers, outdoor seating and landscaping.
Along the riverfront promenade, the architecture will be suggestive of Southern waterfront towns. Some of the one-story and two-story buildings will be dressed in board-and-batten siding with sloped metal roofs and simple brick details.
All building designs throughout the mixed-use community will be complementary, creating a cohesive streetscape reminiscent of old riverfront villages. Downtown Belville will feature everything from wood siding and landscaping that is conducive to neighborly socializing in the mixed-use village area near the entrance, to brick with stucco and glass accents where buildings are the most dense and vertical in the development.
Building heights will be systematically staggered, with the perimeter buildings reaching only one story, the next ring of buildings measuring two to three stories, and the core buildings reaching up to a maximum height of four to five stories. The exception to this rule is the proposed waterfront hotel, which could total up to nine stories, and the parking deck towards the rear of the development, which is planned to have a two-story limit. This staggered-height format maximizes views of other buildings, the waterfront and open spaces throughout the area.
The development team is building as green as possible, from environmentally friendly storm-water management to preserving open spaces. Marshes, river swamps, woodlands and stream buffers will be conserved and public open spaces reserved. From dog parks and playgrounds to water fountains and a town square, the new downtown Belville will please all ages — and all breeds.
In addition to public spaces, there will be buildings, garbage pickup and recycling, street cleanup and water and sewer infrastructure, and private security will be available. A town hall and community center, a dock house, marina facilities and a transportation center are all in the plans as well.
On-street parking and parking lots will be incorporated in the “plaza style,” nestled behind buildings to be hidden from street view. Accessed only by alleys, the parking areas will be screened with landscaping or hardscaping.
The Belville visionaries are clear that they want this development to be a town center, not a shopping center. Laid out in a grid format with street blocks, the town will focus on pedestrian traffic, encouraging walking and bike riding to town and use of wide sidewalks throughout the community. There is even talk of water taxis, trolleys and park-and-ride lots. Multiuse recreational paths and trails will connect Belville with the county park, Belville School and the new residential community of Hawkeswater.
Hawkeswater is a new riverfront community located adjacent to the Brunswick River Park, just two-tenths of a mile from the proposed downtown Belville. It is the closest neighborhood to the new downtown and will be the last upscale neighborhood of its kind on the Highway 133 corridor with the closest proximity to the new Belville and downtown Wilmington. Upon completion, the Hawkeswater community could add more than 1,000 residents to the town, nearly doubling Belville’s population. Residents will have direct access to the downtown development via bike and pedestrian pathways, as well as by boat.
Hawkeswater will consist of approximately 455 units of single-family custom homes, town homes and village homes on close to 200 acres. Since its launch last year, the community has sold 34 units, with seven homes currently under construction. Residents can choose from a variety of activities, including walking through the tree-lined streets and conservation areas, relaxing at the clubhouse, swimming in the junior Olympic-size pool or taking a short stroll or boat ride to access the entertainment, shopping and dining options soon to be available in Belville or in downtown Wilmington.
“The overall vision for the area is one of convenience and fun,” explains Charles C. Poindexter, II of The LMC Group, Hawkeswater sales representative. “We are excited to offer something unique to this area. Hawkeswater is a unique piece of property well suited to a quiet, beautiful neighborhood.”
The developers of Hawkeswater and its residents aren’t the only ones thrilled about the proposed downtown. Belville Mayor Chuck Thurlow couldn’t be happier.
“I’m very proud of the relationships that are in place to develop this project,” says Thurlow. “Not only have the town of Belville and the town of Leland been sharing ideas to help our area, but the county has been excellent as well. We’re all in this together, to develop a thriving and beautiful downtown that boosts our local economy, and makes our citizens happy too. I don’t go a week without hearing from our residents, with questions about the development’s progress. They all seem to be very eager and excited.”
The Belville downtown development has made significant progress since its conception nearly two years ago. Engineering is complete, architectural plans are finished and have been sent to the state for approval for the NCDOT replacement facility. The site plan with schematic designs and building footprints has been developed for the new downtown Belville, and marina permitting and engineering for storm-water management are moving forward.
“The current economy is tough for development of any kind, but, we continue to make consistent and significant progress,” explains Michael White, owner and president of Five Points Development, the managing developer of principal firm Urban Smart Growth. “We hope to have everything in place to move forward with a marketing campaign by next spring. At that point, we will be able to begin accepting letters of intent from potential retailers and launch the sales process for the residential units as well.”
According to Urban Smart Growth’s website, the group is estimating completion of the downtown Belville project by 2015, assuming that the economy begins on its road to recovery soon.
Urban Smart Growth, an organization dedicated to redevelopment of historic and under-utilized property throughout the United States, is the master developer of the Belville project. The group has significant experience in creating lively and dynamic mixed-use communities. Five Points Development specializes in land redevelopment, including single-family, multi-family and light commercial projects in coastal North Carolina and is the firm responsible for managing Urban Smart Growth.
“Five Points Development, the mayor’s office and Hawkeswater have continued to work hand in hand to grow the corridor together and ensure delivery of a beautiful coastal downtown community for our local area,” says Poindexter.
Thurlow agrees.
“We all have the same goal: To develop a downtown that is consistent with the new vision and mission of our area,” says Thurlow. “We’re all dedicated to creating something great for our community and our citizens.”
For More Information:
Town of Belville
www.townofbelville.com
Urban Smart Growth:
Master Developer of Downtown Belville
www.urbansmartgrowth.net
Five Points Development:
Managing Developer of Downtown Belville
www.5pointsdevelopment.com
Hawkeswater
www.hawkeswater.com
