New Hanover looks to industrial parks to drive economic development

Megan Pociask, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read
A site plan shows a business park proposed for more than 17 acres of land along Blue Clay Road in Castle Hayne.
A site plan shows a business park proposed for more than 17 acres of land along Blue Clay Road in Castle Hayne.

New Hanover County is no stranger to investing in infrastructure. In May, commissioners approved around $7 million for the Blue Clay Business Park on the northern side of the county and Wilmington International Airport announced major upgrades to its business park.

Now another business park is taking shape. The New Hanover County Commissioners recently approved over $6 million in funding for phase one of the Holly Shelter Business Park. The county received a 52-acre donation of land off the Holly Shelter corridor -- part of a larger vision for a business park that includes about 300 acres in total.

Phase one of the project will include the 52-acre parcel that can accommodate around 600 square feet of buildable space. Phase two of the project is expected to cost $3 million and phase three of the project is anticipated to cost just over $6 million.

Boosting economic development

Despite the costs, county staff expressed optimism for the project’s economic outlook for a return on investment and job growth.

Scott Satterfield of Wilmington Business Development shared the same sentiments. “I would call this a transformative opportunity that we have,” he said.

“This will carry us for many years from an economic development standpoint," he said. "It’s very similar to what we’ve seen at the Pender Commerce Park 15 years ago…This represents over 3 million square feet that we believe is going to give us the opportunity for jobs and investment, along with the other properties we’re working on like Blue Clay Road.”

Satterfield sees this as a win for the entire county, comparing it to the business development that has already grown along U.S. 421.

"We think it will be an equal opportunity for us to really bring some significant investment to the area," he said.

Find More: New manufacturer coming to Wilmington Business Park

Building 2 at the existing Wilmington Trade Center property.
Building 2 at the existing Wilmington Trade Center property.

Major business parks in New Hanover County

  • Wilmington Trade Center: 212 acres, tenants include PaperFoam, Coastal Carrier, GLE and New Hanover County Emergency Services.

  • ILM Business Park: 140 acres, tenants include The VA Medical Clinic, Wilmington Business Development, Toshiba Business Solutions.

  • Blue Clay Park: 120 acres, tenants include Francini Inc.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover County industrial park coming to Holly Shelter corridor