In the next couple of weeks, plans will be brought before the Technical Review Committee, a part of the city of Wilmington’s Planning Department that works with developers to ensure their projects meet the city’s technical requirements, for two major developments in the Mayfaire area.
The first is for a grocery store on Eastwood Road near the intersection of Military Cutoff Road. A site plan has been submitted for a store operated by German discount supermarket chain Lidl, which has thousands of locations throughout Europe. The company, which also sells appliances, furniture and clothing along with food items, recently announced they will be expanding into the United States and is set to build their American corporate headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia with stores opening beginning in 2018. It is the main competitor of fellow German discount grocery chain Aldi, which already has stores in the country, including dozens in North Carolina but none in the Wilmington area.
According to documents submitted for review, the store would be located at 1511 Eastwood Road, adjacent to the Mayfaire Reserve and Cambridge Village senior living developments. The proposed stand-alone, one-story building would be 36,170 square feet and have over 140 parking spaces on the 353,222-square-foot lot.
The project is scheduled to be reviewed by the TRC at 9 a.m. on Dec. 31, after which it may then move on to the Planning Commission and eventually city council. Nearby grocery stores in the area include both a Harris Teeter and a Food Lion around the corner on Military Cutoff Road, a Harris Teeter on Eastwood going toward Wrightsville Beach, and a Harris Teeter and Food Lion where Gordon Road and Market Street meet in Ogden.
The second site plan is for Phase III of development at Mayfaire Town Center. Documents for the project include plans for several new buildings in vacant lots near the movie theater on Town Center Drive.
Proposed tenants for the 90,100 square feet of total retail space across seven buildings include Swedish clothing chain H&M and New York-based furniture and interior design store West Elm. It would be the first locations for those chains in Wilmington. Other tenants mentioned in the plans are clothing stores Lane Bryant, Torrid and Hot Topic as well as West Marine, which sells boating and fishing gear. Independence Mall is already home to Lane Bryant and Hot Topic stores, while West Marine has a location in Lumina Commons on Eastwood Road.
Two phases of Mayfaire Town Center, which is home to many big chain stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Pottery Barn and Bath and Body Works, have been completed. Phase I was completed in 2004 and Phase II was finished in 2008. TRC staff will be reviewing plans for Phase III on Jan. 7 at 8:30 a.m.
