Public input heard on plan for dealing with growth in downtown Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – The city planning department wants to hear from you on how downtown Wilmington can be better. Tonight they held a public forum asking for input.

Topics from more street lighting, more grocery stores and more police presence were on the minds of neighbors for how the city can make downtown better in the future.

The meeting comes as city planners prepare for a downtown set to change.

“We anticipate a lot of people will move to Wilmington in the next 25 years,” says Christine Hughes who is a senior planner for the city adding that, “When we started the comprehensive plan we looked at some specific data and we think about 60,000 people within the next 25 years. That’s a lot of people so figuring out where those people live, work , and play is really important.”

It’s the first of several group forums to take public input on what needs to come or be improved in downtown.

“We’ve heard a lot about some specific development projects that are coming, we always hear about a downtown grocery store, the need for that,” Hughes says.

Public safety was another subject on the minds of neighbors.

“What we know about this area, one cop is not enough,” says a neighbor in one small group.

The city reports nearly half of the space worthy of development downtown is unused or vacant. They see that changing in the coming years. Planning officials will continue to hold these meetings to take public input.

“Often people don’t get interested in something until they like there’s a problem and so this gives folks a chance to weigh in and be a part of the conversation before there is an issue,” Hughes says.

The planning department will announce the next meeting at a later time. When we hear from them we will let you know when and where it will be.