NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The Flossie Bryan tract, located near Independence Boulevard, could switch hands again, less than a year after the county obtained it wholly from Bryan’s heirs. A conservation organization is eyeing to manage it and modify the land into trails, an educational center and community park.
The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust conserves land with scenic, recreational, historic and ecological value. It is proposing buying 60 acres of undeveloped land from the county for $3 million, though the parcel is valued at $11.6 million. Both the county and the land trust defend the $3-million price, in that it frees the county from future and ongoing financial obligations to activate and manage the site as a public nature preserve; it also earns New Hanover a long-term conservation partner.
READ MORE: ‘It’s a win for everybody’: NHC commits to greenspace with Independence Blvd. purchase
The county made a $3.8-million investment to obtain 3990 Independence Boulevard from the Bryan family last spring. Flossie Bryan, a former nurse for James Walker Memorial Hospital, was a proponent of the natural environment and had a desire for the 60 acres to become a park. More than 20 years ago, she bequeathed the land to the county in her will; however, the heirs challenged it in court.
In 2006, the county and Bryan’s heirs agreed to a settlement, breaking down the land into a joint ownership deal, with the county acquiring two-thirds of the property and the heirs having the other one-third. The court also established if a sale were to occur, the proceeds would be split along the same lines and the property would be rezoned to its “highest and best use” before any sale would be allowed.
The county moved to purchase all of the land after a Charlotte developer submitted a plan to rezone and acquire the Bryan tract, to build 512 apartments, 45 townhomes, and 25 single-family units in late 2024. Northwood Ravin withdrew plans following community pushback after Commissioner Dane Scalise said on the dais the county should seize the opportunity to align with its environmental stewardship goals, honor Bryan’s legacy, and potentially create an “Airlie 2.0.”
New Hanover County used its Revenue Stabilization Fund to acquire the property, to be repaid over 10 years without impacting property tax rates. After ponying up its portion for $3.8 million, the remaining sum was transferred back to the county.
The county said at the time the community would be able to provide feedback on what it wanted to see happen to the land. Many expressed educational opportunities and enduring community benefits.
Fast-forward to today and Coastal Land Trust has entered the fray. After months of discussing potential partnerships with the county, its board approved moving forward with a formal proposal to obtain the Flossie Bryan tract, submitting it to the county in January 2026.
According to Harrison Marks, the land trust executive director, the organization is qualified in trail design and has staff expertise when it comes to managing sensitive ecological areas. It’s also worked with other county governments and municipalities in the tri-county region for years. The group manages preserves with ecological benefits and holds conservation easements on several thousand acres, monitored annually.
The land trust has preserved Springer’s Point on Ocracoke and Everett Creek in Sneads Ferry. Locally, the group manages the Stanley Rehder garden in conjunction with the city. In Pender County, it has “added to gamelands” at Holly Shelter and gave a 912-acre Brunswick Nature Park transaction to Brunswick County in 2004. The trust continues to work with the county and SORBA to maintain the trails and other needs there.
“Since we are based in Wilmington, we are in a position to actively manage the property without having to travel,” Marks said. “Our educational outreach program focuses on longleaf pine ecosystems, pollinator plants and carnivorous plants, and our preliminary design plans would provide a great outdoor teaching environment for all three.”
Marks explained the $3 million offer is not “too far off” from the county’s initial $3.8-million investment. He also clarified the price is not a “below-cost giveaway.”
The tax value of the land has remained $11.6 million between 2025 and 2026, according to property tax records.
A county spokesperson said the sale would be a “responsible approach that serves the best interest of the public,” as New Hanover County won’t be on the hook to manage or make the 60 acres a public space to be maintained and upkept.
To put it into perspective, the city is moving forward on an almost $10-million land buy, with a $2.5-million tax value, for 25 acres on Greenville Loop Road, also a partnership with the county ($1 million) and The Endowment ($7.7 million). However, the long-term costs to bring that park online is estimated to be at least another $10 million, including design and construction, to be paid for by the city alone. The impending Greenville Loop Park could include more extensive design elements, too; it just depends on how the city decides to scale it.
If the sale of 3990 Independence Blvd. goes through, the trust will manage the Flossie Bryan tract with in-house professional land staff. It has a “high level” plan for the property, to be executed in phases and includes:
- Improving existing trails and adding new ones for recreational and educational use
- Restoring the 20-acre existing loblolly pine forest to become a natural longleaf pine area, as well as pollinator, and carnivorous gardens
- Managing it with the 7-acre longleaf pine forest
- Making 3 acres of the loblolly pine area an educational timber forest
- Creating a 1.5-acre parking lot for access from Independence Boulevard
- Clearing 0.5 acres surrounding the parking lot for a native plant garden and educational outreach
- Designating 6,000-square-foot envelope for future facility for education and office
- Recognizing Flossie Bryan in its naming, if not overall in the park, on trails or the education center
- Considering other compatible purposes from the community
According to agenda documents for the commissioners’ meeting Monday, staff recommends moving forward with the partnership. If commissioners agree, it will allow staff to create a purchase and sale agreement and identify long-term greenspace conservation requirements. It would have to be brought back to the commissioners within 10 days of public notice to authorize the sale.
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