A community meeting will be held tonight at the downtown library to solicit input on the city’s redevelopment of the Water Street parking deck property.
The meeting is hosted by former Wilmington mayor Harper Peterson and is not a city-sponsored meeting, Malissa Talbert, spokeswoman for the City of Wilmington, said.
Peterson, who has publicly taken issue with city council’s decision to redevelop the parking deck property, said the meeting is an “open citizens’ meeting for information and discussion.” The meeting will take place 6:30-8 p.m. at the downtown library, 201 Chestnut St.
Wilmington City Council on Feb. 17 selected Chapel Hill-based East West Partners to enter into negotiations with the city to replace the parking deck, which council considers an eyesore and plans to demolish.
Related story: City council selects Chapel Hill firm for Water Street parking deck redevelopment
In its place is envisioned a mixed-use development with residential housing, public and private parking, and retail fitted within the site’s 1.22-acre footprint. The city would sell air rights for development above the current structure, though council previously asked that proposals adhere to the city’s 132-foot height restriction for buildings.
East West Partners’ proposal consists of 211 residential units; 284 private parking spaces and 289 public spaces; nearly 24,000 square feet of retail along Water Street and 6,300 square feet of retail along Bijou Park; and 14,400 square feet of management and amenity space.
Air rights would be purchased for $1.3 million, and the total project cost would be $61.9 million, with the city contributing $18.7 million.
Peterson has taken issue with several aspects of the redvelopment process, chiefly what he considered a lack of transparency in the process to this point, as well as project costs and city money being spent on private ventures.
“I believe there are some fundamental problems with this project and this process,” Peterson said at city council’s Feb. 17 meeting. “I thought we had heard loud and clear from the voters in this community in 2012 that we do not want public tax dollars used for baseball stadiums or any other private development for profit.”
Councilman Kevin O’Grady said the redevelopment of the parking deck site would “transform” downtown Wilmington.
“You bring that kind of volume of what has to pretty high-worth residences to come into the center of our downtown is going to change the character of the retail you see, the restaurants you see, the shopping you see,” O’Grady said. “It’s going to be a new downtown. And this is an important piece to solve that puzzle.”
Council received eight proposals, which were narrowed down to six that were presented to council in December. From there, two finalists were selected, with East West Partners receiving council’s blessing last month.
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