Cece Nunn

Ted Heilbron doesn’t expect demand for apartment projects like Starway Village to subside any time soon. Officials celebrated the grand opening of the development, a 278-unit affordable housing complex in Wilmington that’s open to residents at specific income levels, in October. “We could build a couple more of these and not be concerned about filling them,” Heilbron said last month. But financing such projects is complicated. In the case of Starway Village, the apartments wouldn’t exist without gap funding. The new community off Carolina Beach Road is a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit project, Heilbron explained, and the 4% program typically only covers 30% to 40% of the costs. Starway Village received more than $14 million in gap funding, most of which came from the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency, an entity established after Hurricanes Florence and Matthew. The city of Wilmington provided $4 million, and New Hanover County contributed nearly $2 million. The 9% LIHTC tax credit progr

Developers who bought 31 acres in Leland plan to build small bay industrial spaces to support small businesses in the growing northern Brunswick County town. Canvasback Capital bought the land in Leland Innovation Park, a 630-acre campus off U.S. 74/76, for $1.95 million. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Canvasback Capital includes partners Trey Echols and Dennis Nelson, who have already developed a similar small bay warehouse (also referred to as flex space) project in Jupiter, Florida. The versatile spaces (renderings pictured above and at right) can have an office or retail feel in the front with a warehouse in the back, Nelson said. “We’ve seen everything in these small bays from people making cabinets to electrical contractors to a plumbing supply house,” Nelson said. “We've seen CrossFit gyms; we've seen indoor pickleball clubs. We've seen distilleries, breweries – just a little bit of everything.” In the past, users of such spaces have been contractors and traditional industrial tenants,

An organization with a mission to preserve, protect and plant trees in the Wilmington area has released a playbook that tree advocates hope will be used by local governments and developers. "Amid rapid development and accelerating canopy loss, the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees has released Code & Canopy, a visionary policy guide that outlines practical solutions for preserving trees across the region," stated a news release Tuesday. "Crafted as a flexible policy resource, Code & Canopy serves as an aspirational, actionable playbook outlining a range of proven strategies for preserving mature trees and expanding urban canopy. "It's designed for use by local governments, planning departments, developers and community advocates working to shape smarter, greener growth." The guide offers "real-world approaches" that range from ordinances and flexible development incentives to tree protection standards inspired by other cities, according to the release.  “We’re calling for a fundamental shift,” stated I

A health care storm could be brewing locally and nationwide for more than one reason, those in the industry say, including the possibility that Affordable Care Act subsidies might be gone for the foreseeable future. On top of that, some funding sources have dried up amidst less charitable giving and a push for government cost-cutting. If nothing changes, Wilmington-based Cape Fear HealthNet could be looking at a bigger wave of uninsured residents who need its administrative and referral services, and the organization might also be coping with a more than $100,000 budget shortfall. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization connects people who have no health insurance in New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender and Columbus counties to providers and specialists who are willing to see them for free or at a reduced cost. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 1,482 individuals were active with Cape Fear HealthNet. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, more than 22,000 adults in the Cape Fear region were uninsured with incomes below 300

Commercial development in midtown Wilmington is “definitely steady,” said Hill Rogers, broker in charge at Wilmington-based Cameron Management. Nearly 10 years ago, Rogers’ company provided a midtown catalyst by developing, along with Charlotte-based Collett, The Pointe at Barclay. The Pointe is a movie theater-anchored dining and service complex off South 17th Street and Independence Boulevard. “The Pointe helped to put midtown on the map,” Rogers said, “I’d be curious to know the tax value of all new development in midtown over the past 10 years. The Pointe is almost completely built out, but across Gallery Park Boulevard, there is more land available for development to support multifamily and commercial development.” He said commercial development as a whole has been muted in the past three years because of elevated interest rates, “but if you factor in civic, health care and business-driven development, there is a lot of activity. And if you look back 10 years, then midtown has been a

On Castle Street in Wilmington, Jerry Jones and his wife, Erin, own a bookstore that emphasizes diversity and inclusion. “All the books and gift items in our store are made by or created by someone from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), API (Asian and Pacific Islander), queer or differently abled community,” said Jerry Jones. The Jones’ store, The Roasted Bookery, is one example locally of a place where diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts are firmly in place. The idea for the store originated in part because Jerry and Erin Jones noticed a need among their students while working as teachers. “We saw students craving stories that represented their lives. We saw students really engaged in complicated plots, complicated themes, when the stories were things that they could catch on to culturally,” Jerry Jones said. “And we saw that there was a paucity in the Wilmington community of establishments that celebrated that vibe.” On a broader scale, though, the unraveling of

New Hanover Community Endowment officials announced Tuesday that the organization will award 16 new grants worth over $20.3 million to groups in New Hanover County. Of the $20.3 million, $2.7 million is earmarked for New Hanover County Schools "to pilot a targeted staffing initiative to close achievement gaps, support positive behavior, increase student engagement, improve graduation rates and create positive learning environments," according to a news release. The schools' grant marks the third consecutive year that New Hanover County Schools has received a multi-year grant from the endowment. In 2023, the district was awarded $1.68 million over three years as a partner in the Healthcare Career Partnership initiative. In 2024, the district received $8.74 million over three years to advance early literacy, which included funding for early learning facilitator positions and the expansion of pre-K services. “Partnering with New Hanover County Schools and supporting evidence-based solutions to bolster schoo

The 2025 Ocean Innovation Conference sails into the University of North Carolina Wilmington next week, featuring speakers and sessions expected to be attended by more than 320 participants. The conference, first held in 2023, is scheduled to take place at UNCW’s Burney Center, starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday.  “The 2025 conference really emphasizes collaboration. The geographic reach of panelists, speakers and attendees is broader than in past years, bringing together expertise from across the region and beyond,” said Lydia Thomas, program manager for UNCW’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, in an email Thursday. “For example, one of the panels, Building the Blue, features blue economy leaders with experience in building blue hubs in Mississippi, Virginia, Michigan and Nevada, and even as far as Norway. A key takeaway from this discussion is learning about how these ‘hubs’ have thrived through collaboration.” She said the morning keynote speaker, author Deborah Westphal, “will set the

Wilmington-based cloud-banking software firm nCino Inc. (Nasdaq: NCNO) has announced the launch of nCino Integration Gateway. The tech is an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS). "​Think of it like a universal translator for bank computer systems – Integration Gateway connects different banking software that normally can't talk to each other, eliminating the need for bank employees to manually re-enter the same customer information across multiple systems," an nCino spokesperson wrote in an email Thursday. The platform was formerly known as Glyue by Sandbox Banking, but earlier this year, nCino announced its $52.5 million acquisition of Sandbox Banking. "nCino acquired Sandbox Banking in February 2025 specifically to integrate this crucial technology into the broader nCino platform," the email stated. "The key difference is that it's now part of nCino's unified banking platform, so institutions can manage lending, deposits, customer relationships and all integrations from one system rather than

Employers and employees will see some changes when it’s time for health insurance enrollment at the end of this year. One expected trend: Spouses who previously purchased their health insurance from the marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act could be switching to their husband’s or wife’s employee-sponsored plan. That’s according to experts who include Hughes Waren, the Wilmington-based regional vice president of eBen, a firm that helps companies plan for employee health benefits and offers insurance plan brokerage services. Waren said provisions in federal legislation (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in July) and the potential expiration of a federal tax credit are likely to contribute to this trend. “Employers may have to start subsidizing the dependent coverage more to help these people that are losing tax subsidies and then come on group plans,” Waren said. The tax credit loss is expected to result in the average enrollee in the ACA mark

Wilmington Officials Deem $68M Purchase, Other Investments In New City Hall A Success

On the northern end of downtown Wilmington, property owned by the city has been taken off the market for now. In an email Monday afternoon, city officials said the city has paused efforts to sell 1021 N. Front St., land that the city of Wilmington had acquired with its $68 million purchase of the former Thermo Fisher Scientific and PPD campus in July 2023. One of the reasons for the pause is to evaluate whether the property, situated next to both Skyline Center, which includes Wilmington's new city hall, and Live Oak Bank Pavilion, might be needed by the city in the future. The city had received nine proposals/offers for the potential sale of 1021 N. Front St., and all nine "envisioned development of the site as either multi-family, market-rate apartments or a mixed-use of multi-family and ground-floor commercial space," officials stated in the email. In addition to reviewing the proposals, other city staff members "were simultaneously working to assess the city's current position regarding retir

The New Hanover Community Endowment on Monday announced eight new grants totaling more than $6 million for nonprofits across New Hanover County. According to an endowment news release, the aims of the grants include "strengthening youth and community safety, expanding access to health services, improving food security and building nonprofit capacity to better serve residents." "These grants reflect our mission and strategic priorities and align with the types of investments envisioned in our governing documents,” said Sophie Dagenais, interim president and CEO of the endowment, in the release. “They also incorporate insights from our Community Advisory Council, especially in strengthening the capacity of local nonprofits. Each investment addresses immediate community needs while helping organizations build lasting, transformative impact.” The grants and their purposes, according to the release, are as follows:  Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina – $1,791,010: Renovate facilities t

Real estate broker and developer Christian Cardamone hopes to create a small infill project with apartments off South Front Street in Wilmington. The Gantry would be a three-story building with nine residential units and one commercial space, if it comes to fruition. Wilmington-based architect Rob Romero is the designer on the project. Originally, Cardamone, owner of Aloha Wilmington Development and Construction and Aloha Wilmington Real Estate, contemplated using the lots at 102 and 104 Meares St. as a site for two single-family homes. But a property across the street was rezoned urban mixed-use, so he decided to have his parcels rezoned to UMX to give that designation a try. “This looks like a better way to maximize the density,” Cardamone said. He said he thinks the apartments could be about 600 square feet each. “They're not huge, but I think there's a pretty good demand (for one-bedroom or studio units). I've been watching (local developer) Dave Spetrino’s projects on Castle Street – those

Real estate broker and developer Christian Cardamone hopes to create a small infill project with apartments off South Front Street in Wilmington. The Gantry would be a three-story building with nine residential units and one commercial space, if it comes to fruition. Wilmington-based architect Rob Romero is the designer on the project. Originally, Cardamone, owner of Aloha Wilmington Development and Construction and Aloha Wilmington Real Estate, contemplated using the lots at 102 and 104 Meares St. as a site for two single-family homes. But a property across the street was rezoned urban mixed-use, so he decided to have his parcels rezoned to UMX to give that designation a try. “This looks like a better way to maximize the density,” Cardamone said. He said he thinks the apartments could be about 600 square feet each. “They're not huge, but I think there's a pretty good demand (for one-bedroom or studio units). I've been watching (local developer) Dave Spetrino’s projects on Castle Street – those

Since its creation, the New Hanover Community Endowment has announced nearly $131 million in grants to organizations across New Hanover County, according to fund officials. But the endowment’s journey so far has included hurdles since its first grant announcement at the end of 2022, the most recent being the resignation in July of its latest president and CEO, Dan Winslow. In addition to concerns about its early leadership changes, including the resignation of its first president and CEO, William Buster, last year, the endowment has faced questions about its direction and who should be in charge. The New Hanover Community Endowment, now a $1.6 billion fund, was created in 2021 from the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health. It’s not likely to have a new permanent chief this year, officials said recently, but for now, Sophie Dagenais is serving as interim CEO. Dagenais previously worked as the endowment’s vice president of programs and grants for five months. “The Endowment�

Wilmington-based Predicate AI Labs Inc., a health care technology company developing predictive artificial intelligence to treat critical illness, has entered into an agreement with the Mayo Clinic, a top academic medical center. According to a news release, the agreement will help Predicate advance the early detection of sepsis, a condition that occurs when the body has a life-threatening response to infection and attacks its own organs and tissues. Predicate will be able to work with Mayo Clinic experts in predictive health care, "combining clinical expertise and real-world insight to help accelerate the development and validation of AI-driven tools for earlier detection and intervention," the release stated. Morris Nguyen, founder and CEO of Predicate, said the Mayo Clinic is likely one of the most aggressive adopters of AI across any U.S. health care provider. He said that for Predicate, which won the Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2024, the agreement with the clinic is "a huge catalyst...

Wilmington-based Predicate AI Labs Inc., a health care technology company developing predictive artificial intelligence to treat critical illness, has entered into an agreement with the Mayo Clinic, a top academic medical center. According to a news release, the agreement will help Predicate advance the early detection of sepsis, a condition that occurs when the body has a life-threatening response to infection and attacks its own organs and tissues. Predicate will be able to work with Mayo Clinic experts in predictive health care, "combining clinical expertise and real-world insight to help accelerate the development and validation of AI-driven tools for earlier detection and intervention," the release stated. Morris Nguyen, founder and CEO of Predicate, said the Mayo Clinic is likely one of the most aggressive adopters of AI across any U.S. health care provider. He said that for Predicate, which won the Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2024, the agreement with the clinic is "a huge catalyst...

A Western wear store is on its way to a midtown Wilmington shopping center. National retailer Boot Barn (NYSE: BOOT) signed a lease at Hanover Center, 3501 Oleander Drive, for a little over 14,000 square feet. The store will be located next to Homesense, a furniture and home decor store that opened at Hanover Center in 2023. “We will be starting upfit and facade work within a few weeks and expect to deliver to Boot Barn by year end for a 1st Q 2026 opening,” wrote Randy Kelley of Harbour Real Estate Partners. Kelley’s firm owns Hanover Center in a joint venture with national real estate company Perform Properties (formerly ShopCore). In addition to a facade renovation, the owners subdivided the former 37,000-square-foot SteinMart store, with Homesense occupying 24,000 square feet and Boot Barn set to take the remaining space. Boot Barn started with one store in 1978 and has grown to more than 465 stores in 49 states and an e-commerce channel, according to the company’s website. Boot Barn offers

Philadelphia-based firm Alterra IOS recently bought an industrial portfolio that includes a local property. Alterra IOS, a company that owns industrial outdoor storage (IOS), recently announced its acquisition of 12 class-A IOS properties, totaling 43 usable acres with over 165,000 square feet of accompanying warehouse space. The purchase includes 851 Sunnyvale Drive in Wilmington, for which Alterra paid over $6.2 million to the seller, Louisiana-based HE Wilmington LLC, according to property tax records. "Wilmington is a strong port market that is largely overlooked by institutional IOS investors," said Gavin Weaver, senior associate of acquisitions for Alterra IOS. "Given the growth of the port and the quality of this asset, we were excited about the opportunity to expand our existing portfolio in this market." Weaver said his company continues to look for desirable investments in Wilmington. "We are always looking for new acquisitions in this market. Growth of the Port (of Wilmington) and consistent te