WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – During the Wilmington City Council meeting on August 20, council members made decisions regarding developments in existing neighborhoods, repairs to the Riverwalk and more.

City rents office space in Skyline Center

To offset the purchase of the center, the Council passed a resolution as planned under the consent agenda to approve a three-year lease with Protocase USA, Inc.

The company is leasing approximately 3,194 square feet of space. The initial term is three years with an option to extend for an additional four years. The rent is $93,771 per year and increases annually.

Council approves construction contract for repairs to Downtown Riverwalk

Council members approved using $1.1 million to construct the Riverwalk North Marina Repair Project to address the standing water problem on the existing walkway and meet ADA accessibility standards. The section is located between the Wilmington Convention Center and Riverfront Park.

Lease agreement for the United Bank Building with the US government

The U.S. Government Services Administration wants to lease all 80,000 square feet of space on the fifth floor of the city-owned office building you may know as the United Bank Building at 115 N. 3rd Street, as well as 28 parking spaces in the 2nd Street parking deck, for a 10-year lease with an option to extend for another five years.

According to the city, the building is currently 35 percent occupied by three tenants and is operating financially balanced. When the lease, which expires in April 2025, expires, the occupancy rate would have risen to 22 percent.

The city proposes an annual office rent of $407,000 and an annual parking rent of $91,000, to be increased by 10 percent every five years.

A rough estimate is that the necessary improvements would require $1.8 million, most of which would be reimbursed to the city once the federal government begins using the space.

According to a city government analysis, the proposal would stabilize the building’s finances, improve its marketability and increase parking revenue. However, drawbacks include short-term liquidity risk and the staffing required to implement it.

Following unanimous approval by the Council, staff will work to finalise the details with a view to presenting a solution on the specific funding amounts later this year.

Calls for ceasefire during public hearing

At the beginning of the public comment section, Johnathan Lacefield expressed his opposition to the proposals of the group ILM for Peace in Palestine to call on the Wilmington City Council to call for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and equal rights for Palestine.

He was followed by Suzanne Ortman, who called on the Council to break its silence on the war in Gaza and work for a ceasefire. Her views were then echoed by a Palestinian-American citizen. Both were applauded by the Council audience.

City withdraws planned changes to existing neighborhoods

Following feedback from residents in June on proposed changes to permitting development in legacy districts, staff recommended withdrawing the proposed changes. For more information on this proposal, see our previous coverage.

The Council voted unanimously in favor and agreed with staff’s recommendation to withdraw the proposal.

Discussion about declaring land uninhabitable

Council members voted to direct the housing inspector to declare a building at 1209 S. 7th Street uninhabitable, but a developer seeking to purchase the property plans to renovate it and obtain building permits to make it habitable again.

Five-year car camera contract for Wilmington Police

The WPD asked the city to authorize the city manager to enter into a five-year contract with Axon Enterprise for in-car cameras and the Fusus Enterprise System. During the presentation, the department explained that the new system would allow the camera images to be livestreamed to other police officers.

The $3.7 million cost will be covered by the department’s budget.

Kevin Spears stated that he was concerned about license plate readers as part of the system, but the city ultimately voted to approve the agreement.

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