title
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
Contact Name:
Linda Painter
Public Hearing:
Yes
Contact Phone:
910-341-7806
Advertising Date/Advertised By:
6/5/26 & 6/12/26 / StarNews
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 dis...
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