This Week Around Wilmington: Bridge Closure and Studio For Sale

0:00Welcome to Real Stories with Buddy Blake! Today's episode features real estate insights from Buddy Blake. Let's dive in. Alright, so it's that time again. Let's talk about what's going on around Wilmington this week. Buddy, there's actually a lot happening, huh?

0:21Yeah, there really is. Got a road closure, a film studio situation, a big anniversary party on a battleship, and a couple growth projects. Kind of a full plate this week. Okay, let's start with the one that's going to affect people's daily drive. The Front Street Bridge. What's going on there?

0:41So WWAY News Channel 3 reported the Front Street Bridge downtown is closing starting Monday and it's staying closed for six months. That's not a short detour, that's a real chunk of time. Six months. That's basically half a year of rerouting. Who does that really hit the hardest?

1:01Honestly, anybody who lives, works, or in my world, shows homes down in that part of town. If you're in and out of downtown regularly, you want to start building your new route into your routine now, not wait till Monday morning and get surprised. Right. Figure it out before you're sitting in traffic wondering what happened.

1:22Exactly. And if folks are watching Home Values in that downtown corridor, we've actually got a downtown Wilmington Market Insights page with the numbers that's linked in the show notes too. Good to know. Okay, switching gears. Tell me about this film studio. Dark Horse Stages, right?

1:39Yeah, Port City Daily had this one, Dark Horse Stages. It's that big studio out on Harley Road, 301 Harley Road to be exact. It's now being marketed as Warehouse and Flex Space. Wait, Flex Space? Not as a studio anymore? That's what's being marketed, yeah. And what's notable is this thing only opened six years ago. Wilmington's got such a long history with film production, so seeing a purpose-built studio shift to a different use, that's worth paying attention to.

2:09Yeah, that is interesting. So if someone's tracking commercial real estate or flex space in the area, this is kind of a property to watch. Right, exactly. Especially for anybody keeping an eye on commercial activity in New Hanover County. This is one of those listings that tells you something about where that market's headed.

2:29Okay, now this next one sounds fun. The Battleship North Carolina thing? Yeah, this one's a good one. WWAY reported the Battleship is celebrating 65 years since it arrived in Wilmington, and they're doing a special concert right on the ship. They're calling it the Birthday Concert.

2:50Birthday. I see what they did there. Yeah, somebody had fun naming that one. But honestly, that battleship's been sitting on our skyline for decades. It's one of those landmarks that just makes Wilmington feel like Wilmington. If you haven't been down to the waterfront in a while, this is a good excuse.

3:08Love that. Okay, let's talk growth. You mentioned a couple projects worth watching? Yeah, two big ones. First, WWAY reported on a roughly $16 million project at the Near Family YMCA. They're adding a new 50-meter competition-style pool. That's a big expansion of year-round aquatic space for the community.

3:30A 50-meter pool. That's Olympic size, basically. Pretty much, yeah. And then the other one, Wilmington International Airport is getting a $3 million federal grant. That's going to fund an aircraft apron expansion, which is part of a bigger terminal expansion project they've got going.

3:48So both of those are just signs that Wilmington's still growing and investing in itself. That's exactly it. And if people are curious how growth like this connects to the bigger picture, jobs, economy, all that, we've got a post on Wilmington's job growth ranking that's worth a look too.

4:06Okay, so pulling it all together. Bridge closures, a studio for sale, infrastructure projects. Does any of this actually move the needle for someone thinking about buying or selling here? Not overnight, no. Things like this don't change the fundamentals of the market in one week, but they do shape how a neighborhood feels and functions day-to-day, how easy it is to get around, what's happening nearby, that kind of thing.

4:32So it's less about panic and more about just staying aware. Exactly. If you're curious what's happening with homes for sale in Wilmington, or you want a clearer read on values across New Hanover County, we've got pages for both of those. New Hanover County Market Insights, and if you're thinking about selling, our Selling in Wilmington page walks through what that looks like right now.

4:56This was great, buddy. Always good to get the real rundown on what's happening around town. And hey, if any of this touches a neighborhood you're watching, downtown or otherwise, just give me a call or text at 910-395-1000. Happy to talk it through, no pressure at all.

5:16And the full article with all the details is linked in the show notes. Thanks for listening to Real Stories with Buddy Blake. For the full article and more, check the show notes. See you next time. Thanks for listening to Real Stories with Buddy Blake. For the full article and more, check the show notes. See you next time.