WILMINGTON — The property owned by the New Hanover County ABC Board that caused tension in the community several years ago has once again become an item of discussion. The board voted Wednesday morning to sell six lots around the ABC’s store on 17th Street for $237,000 to JEJ Investments LLC.
The sale of the property drew criticism from Steve Spain, executive director for Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, as well as a resident of the neighborhood in question, Karina Knight.
“My concerns fall into two categories, the lack of public awareness of the sale, and the lack of community involvement in the overall plan for the land around the store,” Spain said.
Spain acknowledged the ABC Commission followed legal procedure by posting notices in local papers but believes the board should have made its intentions more public and transparent. He also believes the ABC did not get the highest possible value for the land, since the sale was not publicized.
“In order to get the highest value possible for property, its arability for sale needs to be known to those who are most interested, over the course of the last five years Historic Wilmington, The Cape Fear Community Land Trust, and Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity have all expressed interest in purchasing some or all of these lots,” Spain said.
Under North Carolina State law the sale of property must be announced to the public – in this case through a legal notice in the newspaper.
Spain says his organization expressed its interest in the purchase of the property in writing by two letters to the ABC Board and yet he was still not informed of the sale. He also told board members that Habitat for Humanity would have been able to make a larger bid for the property, had they been made aware of the sale.
Unfortunately for Spain, he found out about the offer on the 11th day after the notice for upset bids – which only allow 10 days to make a counter offer.
While Spain admittedly would have liked the opportunity to purchase the lots – he is not as concerned with who purchases the lots, but what the lots will be used for in the future.
“It doesn’t matter as much as who purchases the lots, as what happens to them. If Habitat doesn’t develop those lots I am fine with that, what is built around the store is very important to the neighborhood that surrounds it,” he said.
Knight, who lives about two blocks from the property in question said the property in question is still a fresh wound after the ABC Commission razed houses on the property several years ago.
CEO for New Hanover County ABC Board Marnina Queen said she has seen the plans from JEJ Investments Inc., and the company plans to develop single family homes on the property.
Spain and Knight both voiced their concerns with affordable housing in the neighborhood not being available and Knight has worries of gentrification, she said.
Ultimately the board voted to proceed with the sale of the property and Queen said that some of the remaining property will be used to expand the ABC store’s parking lot.
“I am disappointed that they went ahead with the sale without further outreach to the community – it’s very unclear what will happen with the remainder of the lots,” Spain said.
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