WILMINGTON — The Downtown Wilmington Riverfront is one of the city’s biggest draws for visitors and residents alike, but as with all growing cities growth and development are changing the landscape. New plans for 300 apartments, known as Flats on Front, located along the riverfront have been submitted to the City of Wilmington’s Technical Review Committee.
The project site is located at the corner of North Front Street and Cowan Street and plans for nearly 6-acres of riverfront land to be developed. Flyway Residential is the listed developer and owner, with McKim and Creed the preparer of the plans, and Cline Design as the architect.
Based in Raleigh and Charlotte, Cline Design also did design on the neighboring PPD headquarters, as well as the Mayfaire Flats apartments.
According to initial documents, the development would consist of three apartment buildings reaching 55-feet in height and containing 300 apartment units.
Impervious development
Flooding issues have been a concern in Wilmington due to the amount of development leading to impervious surfaces in the city. When new construction takes place on previously unmolested land the amount of rainfall that can soak into the ground is greatly reduced. The lack of permeable surfaces can lead to standing water, and flooding situations if adequate drainage is not installed.
Currently, the 7.02-acre site has roughly 8,000-square-feet of impervious surfaces – meaning surfaces like pavement that water cannot penetrate.
Preliminary designs show an increase of impervious surface area to 217,117-square-feet, or 86 percent of the total onsite area.
Flats on Front would also include a parking deck with 329 spaces, and 101 surface parking spaces for residents and visitors.
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