Construction on a new headquarters building for the New Hanover County ABC Board has passed the halfway point, with the $4 million project about 60 percent complete.
The state-of-the-art building, tucked behind existing businesses on Market Street and Judges Road, is just beyond drivers’ views from those roads but is taking shape according to plan. Retail and Operations Manager Gary Cain, who has been serving as the board’s point-person on the project, said construction is on schedule and remains on track for completion in September.
The 32,000-square-foot building provides about 30 percent more space than the board’s current headquarters at 17th and Castle streets. It also boasts several environmental features intended to minimize energy costs.
“It’s going to be a lot more effective,” Cain said during a recent tour of the site. “We’ve kind of outgrown our Castle Street location, and we can’t take advantage of all the special pricing that comes in from the different distributors.”
Those offers are limited along with the current space, which will be reconfigured with a larger store space and wholesale distribution center.
The Judges Road site, which the board purchased last year for $1.2 million, will serve as the board’s center of operations, with more space for offices and administrative areas, a larger liquor-by-the-drink distribution area, and a 16,000-square-foot warehouse that features skylights and fans that Cain said would cut down on electricity costs.
The skylights keep the space lit during the day, and the massive, industrial ceiling fans keep the space silently circulated.
Outside, the building features tinted windows on its sides—likewise intended to reduce energy costs—and an awning that Cain said the board requested specifically, to help keep customers sheltered from rain.
Truck traffic will be routed around the building and restricted from Judges Road. Tractor-trailer access will be limited to Market Street, Cain said.
Designed by LS3P Associates, the building is being constructed by Bordeaux Construction, a Durham-based company that was awarded the contract late last year. While the project is valued at about $4 million, the board is paying that cost completely out-of-pocket, with no debt issued or money borrowed.
Cain credited that feat to years’ worth of planning and budgeting based on an identified need.
“We had been planning for a long time, and we definitely have been working diligently toward this project,” he said.
Director Dan Sykes also noted the board’s liquor-sale profits, which he said are among the most profitable in the state.
“It’s one of the more profitable boards. Wake (County) is ahead of us, of course, and Mecklenburg,” Sykes said. “But as far as generating cash, I think we’re one of the more profitable.”
Sykes noted the board will need to acquire debt for its renovations to the Castle Street building. The amount of that debt is not yet known, as the board has directed staff to hold off putting resources toward that project until the headquarters building is complete.
Jonathan Spiers is a reporter for Port City Daily. He can be reached at (910) 772-6313 or [email protected]. On Twitter: @jrspiers
