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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Let The Parking Deck Demolition Begin

The groundbreaking has begun at the Water Street Parking Deck. On Monday a mini-excavator put on a show for city officials, as a symbolic kick-off to the demolition. The parking deck, built in 1966, is coming down to make room for the 13-story River Place project.

A crowd of city and county leaders, developers, and interested citizens crowded on the parking deck downtown to watch a mini-excavator  tear down a concrete wall. It was a symbolic start to the massive mixed-use River Place development, which is slated to open in early 2019.  

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo kicked off the event, just a day after the successful Wells Fargo Championship came to an end.

“I have been eating chocolate sundaes for two weeks now, and this is the cherry on top…” 

The project developer is East West Partners of Chapel Hill. Roger Perry is the founder.

“This is going to be, arguably, the most transformative project that’s been done in downtown Wilmington. So we got to get it right, so we have put together a heck of a team and we’ve spent more than $3 million so far on work and design. We’re excited about it.”

The 32,000-square-foot facility will include retail shops, restaurants, a gym, and bar space.  More than half of the planned 171 residential units have already been sold.

The parking deck should be fully demolished this summer.