City considers making downtown more green

There has been an effort for years to get more green space in downtown Wilmington. Now, the city has a chance for a riverfront park.

Developer Dave Spetrino is building a mixed-use development along the Cape Fear River, near the Isabel Holmes Bridge. The city is considering buying three and a half acres of his waterfront property for a park.

Spetrino said the appraised value is $4.6 million dollars. While a park was not in his original plan, he said he has long pushed for downtown green space. “In one way, I think it helps build momentum for our project. But it doesn’t provide us with any money or any cash, so it’s not necessarily a for-profit venture. It is something that helps further stabilize the commitment that the municipality or the city has for downtown.”

City council members with whom WWAY spoke support a downtown park, but the big question is funding. The city has a very tight budget right now, and some say if it could be done with money they already have, private partners, and grants, it would be a big help.