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

Downtown Wilmington to see new hotel from national chain

Wilmington Downtown Inc.

Downtown Wilmington is about to see another new hotel go up. 

As the Courtyard by Marriott project takes shape on Grace Street between Front and Second Streets, WHQR’s Rachel Lewis Hilburn reports that another national chain is about to enter the downtown market – after a cash deal for $700,000 closed just hours ago. 

The site of the new hotel, 225 Grace Street between 2nd and 3rd, sits just behind Bank of America.  And while representatives of the company say the hotel going up will be a national chain, they’re not ready to reveal which one. 

The new building on the now-empty lot will rise between six and eight floors and offer 80 to 90 rooms.  And while real estate agent Jeff Hovis says it’s only an estimate at this point, the project could create up to 100 new jobs. 

The downtown location attracted the developers because of its high visibility and good transportation options.  And company executives see growth potential once the convention center starts to draw more and larger events as more accommodation options open up in the downtown area. 

In a perfect world, says Hovis, Wilmington Hotel Group will break ground on the Grace Street site by September. 

But it’s not just downtown that the Group sees big potential.  According to Hovis, company officials are already looking at other sites around town for additional hotels. 

Rachel hosts and produces CoastLine, an award-winning hourlong conversation featuring artists, humanitarians, scholars, and innovators in North Carolina. The show airs Wednesdays at noon and Sundays at 4 pm on 91.3 FM WHQR Public Media. It's also available as a podcast; just search CoastLine WHQR. You can reach her at rachellh@whqr.org.