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Ordinance Adopting the Greater Downtown Plan as an Amendment to the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan (OBG-1-526)
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Department: |
Planning & Development |
Meeting Date: |
6/16/2026 |
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Contact Name: |
Linda Painter |
Public Hearing: |
Yes |
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Contact Phone: |
910-341-7806 |
Advertising Date/Advertised By: |
6/5/26 & 6/12/26 / StarNews |
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Attachments: |
Attachment #1: Ordinance; Attachment #2: Case Summary; Attachment #3: Planning Commission Minutes; Attachment #4: Planning Commission Recommendation |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this ordinance is to adopt the Greater Downtown Plan as an appendix to the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan.
BACKGROUND:
As part of the FY23 budget, the City Council provided funding and directed staff to prepare a plan for the Greater Downtown area, which encompasses neighborhoods located within the 1945 corporate limits and the Love Grove neighborhood. The plan was created and refined through three phases of community engagement, starting in the spring of 2024 and ending in December 2025, during which residents and other stakeholders identified their vision for the future of Greater Downtown and a playbook for achieving it. The Plan’s five themes (Local Character, Economy, Small Business, Mobility, and Resilience) identify strategies and actions to turn that vision into reality and reflect the community’s priorities. As this Plan builds on many of the policies established in the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan, staff proposes that the Plan be adopted as an appendix to the Comprehensive Plan.
The Greater Downtown Plan will replace three previously adopted neighborhood plans:
• Northside Community Plan 2003
• Wilmington Vision 2020: A Waterfront Downtown (2004)
• Southside Small Area Plan (2009)
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Greater Downtown Plan on May 6, 2026. Two individuals spoke in favor of adopting the Plan, including a member of the project Steering Committee. No comments were received in opposition. After discussion, the commission voted 6-0 to recommend adoption of the Plan.
Based on the feedback received at the Planning Commission public hearing and ongoing staff review of the draft plan, the plan presented to the City Council for consideration includes the following changes from the draft presented to the Planning Commission:
• Updated Local Character Strategy 2 to include the CBD as one of the areas that can accommodate higher intensity development with provisions to encourage identification of corridors and blocks where taller and larger buildings may be appropriate. (Pages 74 and 77)
• Added a definition of affordable housing to page 106
• Corrected multiple typographical errors throughout the document
• Added photo credits for all images and replaced some images and associated case studies.
An electronic version of the full plan can be found here: Greater Downtown Plan <https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/files/assets/city/v/3/government/city-clerk/boards-amp-commissions/planning-commission/05-may/greater-downtown-plan-full-draft-6.9.26.pdf>
An electronic version of the Community Engagement Report can be found here: Community Engagement Report <https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/files/assets/city/v/2/development-amp-business/documents/comp-planning/wilmington-greater-downtown-plan-engagement-report_april-update.pdf>;
An electronic version of the Community Engagement Appendix can be found here: Community Engagement Report Appendix <https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/development-amp-business/documents/comp-planning/gdp/wgdp-engagement-report-appendix_may.pdf>
budget
BUDGET IMPACT:
N/A
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
Staff recommends the adoption of the Greater Downtown Plan as an appendix to the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan. The Plan is both consistent with and will help to implement the policies and growth strategies outlined in the Comprehensive Plan.