Quiet, for now: These 4 Brunswick County roads are about to boom with development

Renee Spencer, Wilmington StarNews
·4 min read
One Brunswick County road that could be next for a development boom is N.C. 87, also known as George II Highway.
One Brunswick County road that could be next for a development boom is N.C. 87, also known as George II Highway.

In recent years, Brunswick County has experienced exponential growth, and it appears the trend will continue.

For the most part, growth has occurred along the county’s main thoroughfares with much of it concentrated around U.S. 17 and N.C. 211.

But as those roads continue to fill with housing developments and shopping centers, developers are now looking to areas off the beaten path.

Here are four roads that will be next for a development boom.

N.C. 87

Though it intersects with major thoroughfares U.S. 17 and U.S. 74, N.C. 87 has been a quiet back country road running the county from Riegelwood to Southport. The stretch that runs through Boiling Spring Lakes is often called George II Highway and where it intersects with N.C. 133 near Southport is known as River Road. But regardless of what you call it, the road is about to get a bit busier.

Several development projects are underway, or have been proposed, for the area.

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More:Boiling for business: Proposed Boiling Spring Lakes city center aims to end road barrier

In the Pines RV & Cabin Village, a 40-acre RV park near Winnabow, is slated to open May 1. The road will also be home to three housing projects, which have already been approved. Southport Meadows, a residential development near Southport will bring 128 single-family lots and 120 townhomes, and located closer to Leland will be Broadwater Landing with 27 single-family homes and Saltgrass Landing with 259 single-family homes.

Another multi-family project with commercial areas called The Vinings at Southport has been proposed for an area across from Smithville Park.

In addition to the housing projects and RV park, Boiling Spring Lakes is considering building a City Center that will connect both sides of the city, uniting the two sides of N.C. 87.

Midway Road

Midway Road, or N.C. 906, connects U.S. 17 Business (Old Ocean Highway) near Bolivia and N.C. 211 in Oak Island. For many years, the road’s main attraction was its proximity to the Brunswick County Government Center. But recently, the road has seen development around the N.C. 211 intersection, and more growth is coming.

Traffic at the N.C. 211 intersection continues to grow with additional businesses leasing space at Midway Commons, and it will only increase with two new mixed-use developments in Oak Island: the Williamson Tract and Waterside at Oak Island. As a result, the once-quiet Midway Road could become a major thoroughfare for those traveling from the Oak Island area to U.S. 17.

More:Developers eye land near popular Oak Island shopping center for large housing, retail area

More:A massive Oak Island development with 7,000-plus homes takes a step closer to reality

Sunset Harbor Road is one of the next Brunswick County roads to boom with development.
Sunset Harbor Road is one of the next Brunswick County roads to boom with development.

Sunset Harbor Road

Stretching from N.C. 211 to the Intracoastal Waterway, Sunset Harbor Road or N.C. 1112, leads to the small unincorporated community for which the road is named. For years, the route has been a pass-through for fishermen and local residents. But proposed development could change that.

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Over the last decade, the road has seen the construction of South Brunswick Charter School, a new boat storage facility, additional development in SeaWatch of Sunset Harbor, and a gas station and convenience store at the N.C. 211 intersection. Additional housing projects have also been approved, and they include an expansion of Bella Point with 336 single family units and The Reserve at Sunset Harbor with 99 single family units.

And more development is coming. Earlier this year, Stark Enterprises, a real estate development company based in Cleveland, acquired the vacant land at the N.C. 211 intersection and is planning to develop it.

N.C. 179

Running from U.S. 17 Business in Shallotte to U.S. 17 in South Carolina, N.C. 179 offers a scenic ride through Brunswick’s southern towns. While the route begins as N.C. 179 at U.S. 17 Business in Shallotte, it twists and turns, intersecting with N.C. 904, Ocean Isle Beach Road, and Old Georgetown Road.

More:Brunswick building boom continues with five more developments seeking approval

The road is already home to large housing developments and golf courses. Sea Trail and Sandpiper Bay and a portion of Ocean Ridge all grace the roadway. But other developments will soon follow. A mixed-use development with a total of 424 housing units, including both single- and multi-family housing was approved in September 2022. Other approved developments include the Gore Tract with 91 single-family homes, Fairway Acres with 50 single-family homes, and Cresswind with 372 housing units.

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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Here are four Brunswick County roads ready to boom with development.