Port City Politics is a podcast collaboration between WECT and WHQR. Every two weeks, WECT’s investigative reporter Michael Praats and WHQR’s News Director Ben Schachtman will break down the latest happenings in local politics.
As the ice storm bears down on the Wilmington area, we revist the week's events. First up, the long-running efforts to revitalize the former WAVE facility at 11th and Castle streets runs out of gas. Since 2007, the city has hoped to redevelop the property — which it owns — into a mixed-use development of some sort. In 2019, a new proposal involving Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit developer, and the Coastal Land Trust evolved — but never really got on the same page as city staff. Now, the city has to decide whether to try again or simply sell the land.
And, of course, there was this week's mask mandate vote from the New Hanover County Board of Health and Human Services. After a heated debated the board reached a deadlock — a 5-5 split vote on a motion not to reinstitute a mask mandate. So, the motion to not require masks failed ... meaning that masks won't be required.
