By Marina Giovannelli
Wilmington, NC – There's an emerging addition to downtown Wilmington's skyline.
Steel columns jut into the sky above the corner of Third St. and Grace St. By next summer the metal skeleton will morph into a five story Bank of America building.
The bank will have an ATM and drive through services on the ground floor, and nearly 60,000 square feet of office space for rent.
City of Wilmington planner Jeff Walton sees the long term benefits of developing the block.
"There's speculation for some hotel or retail type development along Grace St., so I think long term this block should really pop for the city," says Walton.
Walton also says the building fits into the city's vision create a walkable, multipurpose urban center.
The building's development manager Robert Graves says he hopes the building stimulates the surrounding business community.
"Third street is becoming a hub for business and we think we've got a great location central to the upcoming convention center as well as existing buildings today," says Graves.
Graves says the new building will be open for business next summer.