title
Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for a $17,500,000 Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration FY2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program, Which Includes a Required Local Match of $3,500,000, for the Riverfront Bulkhead Replacement Project
body
|
Department: |
Engineering |
Meeting Date: |
4/7/2026 |
|
Contact Name: |
Wim Combs |
Public Hearing: |
No |
|
Contact Phone: |
910-341-5896 |
Advertising Date/Advertised By: |
N/A |
|
Attachments: |
Attachment #1: Resolution; Attachment #2: FEMA Disaster Declaration Map; Attachment #3: EDA Grant Presentation |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this resolution is to authorize the City Manager to apply for the FY2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (“EDA”) in the total amount of $17,500,000, which includes $14,000,000 from the Program and a 20% required grant match of $3,500,000 from the City, for the design and construction of the Riverfront Bulkhead Replacement Project (“Project”).
BACKGROUND:
The Wilmington Riverwalk is a vital economic, tourism, and transportation asset for Wilmington and the surrounding region, supporting small businesses, waterfront access, and multimodal connectivity along the Cape Fear River. However, a 500-foot segment between Princess St. and Chestnut St. is currently closed due to infrastructure degradation, creating a gap in the corridor that disrupts pedestrian connectivity, limits access to nearby businesses and destinations, and reduces activity along the historic riverfront. The deteriorating infrastructure also poses risks to adjacent utilities, environmental resources, and the safe public use of the riverfront.
Restoring this segment will replace failing infrastructure, improve safety and accessibility, and reestablish a continuous waterfront corridor that supports small businesses, strengthens tourism, and enhances public use of the riverfront. The Project will also improve infrastructure reliability, reduce risk to nearby assets, and reinforce the Riverwalk’s role as a catalyst for downtown economic activity while advancing regional goals for resilience, infrastructure stability, and quality of place.
The EDA Disaster Supplemental Grant Program (“Program”) is essential to advance this Project and ensure that Wilmington’s riverfront infrastructure continues to support sustained economic growth and broad public benefit across the greater metropolitan region.
This application requests $14,000,000 through the FY2025 Program, representing 80% of the total Project cost. The remaining 20% required local match, totaling $3,500,000, will be provided by the City to cover anticipated design, construction, and Project costs. Funding for the local grant match would be covered by the remaining funds in the North Riverwalk Marina project (2CCRF0810).
Without this grant, restoration of the 500-foot Riverwalk segment between Princess Street and Chestnut Street will be significantly delayed, prolonging the existing gap in the corridor and continuing to disrupt pedestrian connectivity, limiting access to nearby businesses, and reducing visitor activity along the Cape Fear River waterfront. This ongoing closure will negatively impact small business revenue and downtown economic vitality, while allowing infrastructure conditions to further deteriorate, increasing risks to public safety, adjacent utilities, and environmental resources, and raising future repair costs. In addition, the City’s ability to advance resilience and disaster recovery goals will be constrained, leaving this portion of the riverfront more vulnerable to future storm events, and potentially requiring the reallocation of limited local funds from other critical projects, resulting in broader delays to community development priorities and missed opportunities for sustained economic growth.
budget
BUDGET IMPACT:
If the grant is awarded, the City will receive $14,000,000 in grant funding for design and construction, with a required local match of $3,500,000, for a total project cost of $17,500,000. The local grant match would be covered by the remaining funds in the North Riverwalk Marina project (2CCRF0810).
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
Passage of the attached resolution is recommended.