OK, folks, I know some of you listen or read politely when I talk about how Leland will grow, but you don't really buy it. When I mention a population projection of 50,000 by 2020 it seems exciting, but distant, and maybe farfetched.
Well, an article in today's Wilmington Star News doubles the bet!!!
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20081107/articles/811070250
This Friday's Leland town council meeting should be very interesting. They will discuss and potentially approve the 3-years-in-the-making Leland Master Plan (which is a beautiful thing to read and if you want a copy let me know). Even just perusing the news article above gives you enough data to make it easy to understand why the projected growth is not just possible, or a town planner's dream, but very, very probable.
And here's kicker #1, not mentioned in the article. This article speaks only about Leland. It doesn't mention Belville! Belville has its own master plan for growth and Belville areas are intertwined all around the southern part of Leland (for example, did you know the residential part of Waterford is in Leland but the commercial part is in Belville?). The area of Belville right to the left of the 133 South exit of Rt 17 west that used to be a huge eyesore is going to be a very very high ticket retail, office, and residential space with close-in deep water dockage! There's more and more going on right there.
Well, an article in today's Wilmington Star News doubles the bet!!!
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20081107/articles/811070250
This Friday's Leland town council meeting should be very interesting. They will discuss and potentially approve the 3-years-in-the-making Leland Master Plan (which is a beautiful thing to read and if you want a copy let me know). Even just perusing the news article above gives you enough data to make it easy to understand why the projected growth is not just possible, or a town planner's dream, but very, very probable.
And here's kicker #1, not mentioned in the article. This article speaks only about Leland. It doesn't mention Belville! Belville has its own master plan for growth and Belville areas are intertwined all around the southern part of Leland (for example, did you know the residential part of Waterford is in Leland but the commercial part is in Belville?). The area of Belville right to the left of the 133 South exit of Rt 17 west that used to be a huge eyesore is going to be a very very high ticket retail, office, and residential space with close-in deep water dockage! There's more and more going on right there.
Here's kicker #2. There's plenty of room west on 17 and along 74/76 from Leland for more development - areas with infrastructure in place or easily accessed. If desired, the growth has space to continue with existing good roads.
Here are kickers #3 and #4 - If the Southport International Port AND the SkyWay Bridge project are completed (which if they happen, which is more likely than not, will be in the same time frame mentioned in the article) the whole region's growth and economic development will be fueled and supported by improved infrastructure and jobs.
Who knows, Wilmington may become a quaint place to visit from the bustling, modern, commercial/residential/economic western shores of the Cape Fear River, with the epi-center of the area in Leland!
And here's a bit of NC historical trivia that might make us wonder . . . Brunswick Town, the historic, original center of North Carolina's government and commerce, located a short drive down Route 133 from Leland and through Belville, was founded in 1726. Who knows, maybe in 2026, just in time for Brunswick Town's TriCentennial, the new center of North Carolina commerce may be located right in the same area, but this time in a once small town we know as Leland -- and which some of us affectionately refer to as L.A - the Land of Abundance!!
