Are you ready to fly
Construction started in early February on an indoor skydiving center that will be located in Wilmington. iFly is a national brand that creates the sensation of skydiving in a state-of-the-art vertical wind tunnel. The company markets its services for kids’ birthday parties, corporate events, team building exercises, along with other gatherings. They currently have more than 30 locations across the country. Their future Wilmington location, which will be at 1441 Eastwood Road, will be the company’s second facility in North Carolina. They already have one indoor skydiving center in Charlotte. According to published reports, the Wilmington location is set to open in late 2024. During construction, crews will be required to protect the remaining trees with protective fencing, comply with local, regional, state, and federal development regulations, and follow NCDOT and city rules for truck traffic routes.
Warehouse space coming to Wilmington northern end
A developer has plans to build flex warehouse space on Wilmington’s northern end. Developer Chuck Schoninger recently bought 23 acres on Blue Clay Road. According to New Hanover County deeds, he paid $1.5 million to Corbett Farming for the property. Schoninger plans to build 250,000 square feet of flex warehouse space, which he says will help address a shortage of such space in the Cape Fear region. Schoninger is known in Wilmington for developing the Marina and Marina Grill in northern downtown. The current project will not require rezoning, but because of its size, it will require several permits before construction can start.
Dave & Busters wants to set up shop in Wilmington
According to several published reports, Dave & Buster’s is looking to construct a new facility at 953 Town Center Drive in the Mayfaire Town Center. Discussions have been taking place since last summer about the build-out planned for a vacant lot in the shopping center. The lot is adjacent to Pure Barre, Fuel Fitness, the IMAX parking lot, and the former Fox and Hound restaurant. The facility would include a 5,000-square-foot bar, a 6,500-square-foot restaurant, and a 12,500-square-foot arcade. Currently, they have been working on a traffic impact report to measure how such a facility would add to an already congested part of town. Dave & Buster’s operates around 200 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada. The closest one to Wilmington is in Myrtle Beach, though there are four in North Carolina, including two in the Charlotte area, another in Cary, and Winston-Salem.
Holden Beach starts work on Bike Lanes
In early February, construction started on six miles of bike lanes on Holden Beach. The project is being funded by the N.C. Department of Transportation and is expected to cost an estimated $5.2 million. The six-mile section runs along Shell Drive and Dunescape Drive. The first part of the project involved moving several residential mailboxes further back from the right-of-way and temporarily taking down some city street signs. The NCDOT expects the work to be completed sometime in the fall.
ILM passengers will soon be able to fly directly to Miami
Starting June 5, American Airlines will operate daily flights from ILM to Miami International Airport. It will be a nonstop service, departing ILM at 6 a.m., with return flights from MIA departing at 7:55 p.m. Flights are roughly two hours. The latest addition of the nonstop destination brings ILM’s count to 17; other direct flight options include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis – Saint Paul, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Washington D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware. The Miami connection will present travelers an opportunity to fly to 70 destinations outside of the U.S., from Mexico to the Caribbean to Latin America.