SeaWitch rising: Developers plan to reinvent tiki bar atop oceanfront hotel

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Residents and members of the surrounding community packed the Community Life Center in Carolina Beach to learn about a proposed oceanfront project.

Developers are looking to build an Embassy Suites hotel at the north end of the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. It would include meeting space and oceanfront ballrooms, a poolside tiki bar, an upscale restaurant, and a rooftop bar.

Harmony Hospitality hosted a community meeting on Thursday night to share more about the project and gather feedback from residents.

In the packed room, it was apparent there were mixed feelings about the project. Some people expressed gratitude to the developers and were excited for the project, while others opposed it.

Several people seemed to suggest they would prefer a smaller hotel in the location. Current town ordinances permit 50-foot structures in this area and the proposed hotel would sit at 90-feet in height.

There were additional concerns that typically come with any large development, but there is something sentimental about the property this structure would sit on. It’s already home to what many people, like island resident Dan Smith, consider a Carolina Beach staple — The SeaWitch.

“Well a lot of people are concerned about traffic and they’re concerned about services and residents are concerned about what this really brings to the residents of Carolina Beach,” said Smith. “My concern about that is I love SeaWitch. I’ve always loved SeaWitch. It was a great place to dance, a great place to bring good regional bands. I think we’re going to lose that if SeaWitch goes.”

During the presentation, the development team said they wanted to become the anchor of the north end of the boardwalk, similar to how The Courtyard by Marriott anchors the south end of the boardwalk.

“The whole idea with the SeaWitch is we want to take a lot of the SeaWitch concept and the atmosphere and transfer it 90-feet up in the air that overlooks Carolina Beach,” said Zachary Brigman, general manager of the Embassy Suites Wilmington Riverfront.

Brigman says they hope to incorporate the character of Carolina Beach in the large structure.

“We were looking at our building and we know that murals make Carolina Beach unique. We were looking at our building, we saw that we had a lot of blank space and said hey — you know what? Maybe this could be a way for us to be a part of the community instead of this corporate giant that some people think that we are,” said Brigman.

The project is still in the planning stage. Developers plan to hold future meetings to gather more feedback.

For more information on the project, click here.