Big Sky Design plans to move this year to new office and retail space on Oleander Drive.
The commercial and residential interior design firm founded more than two decades ago is relocating from Masonboro Loop Road to Bradley Creek Station, an 80,000-square-foot retail and office complex under construction at 5815 Oleander Drive.
"We just love the new building and location and think it's time for a change so we're going to be moving our Big Sky Design office over there to the second floor," said Jennifer Kraner, owner and founder of Big Sky Design. "It really gives us an opportunity to showcase commercial office spaces, what they're doing currently and in the future . . . we get to redesign our own office space, which is very exciting."
Big Sky Design will also expand its Big Sky shop and collaborative studio with space at Bradley Creek Station, Kraner said, with more news to come on the retail component. Kraner said she anticipates a July opening.
One recent commercial project for Big Sky was the Corning Credit Union regional headquarters off South 17th Street in Wilmington. But the firm also offers residential design.
For Kraner, residential projects come with "a totally different palette, if you will, to work with, and we all love residential design."
Big Sky Design's staff includes 12 designers.
"We've been really, really lucky to do what we love to do, and I've got such a great team here. We have fun every day," she said, "and we're just looking forward to big things in the future."
Big Sky Design's retail component will be on the first floor, with more than 3,000 square feet of office space on the second floor.
According to Bradley Creek Station development firm SAMM Properties, other retail clients include First Carolina Bank with 5,400 square feet; Head to Toe Day Spa with 6,325 square feet; and Crabby Chic with 4,500 square feet.
Office users in addition to Big Sky Design include First Carolina Bank (another nearly 3,000 square feet); Angel Oak Home Loans (nearly 3,600 square feet) and Wilmington Reproductive Laboratories (5,175 square feet).
Steve Hall, partner with Maus, Warwick, Matthews & Co., is the listing agent and represented SAMM Properties in the lease transactions.
"We are very excited for our community about the quality of businesses that will be occupying Bradley Creek Station. Each business coming to Bradley Creek Station has had a profound impact already in our community and we are grateful for their trust in bringing the vision of Bradley Creek Station to reality," said Parker Anderson, of SAMM Properties, in an email.
"We believe this area of town is really transforming with the thriving residential community of Summerwalk, Wrightsville Beach Brewery, the planned development by Evolve at the old movie theater site, and the transformation of many residential houses on Oleander into boutique offices and retail. Oleander Drive is transforming and SAMM Properties is honored to be a small part of that."
The project is ahead of schedule, Anderson said, thanks to Brandon Lisk, project manager, and Tim Barnes, superintendent, of McKinley Building Corp.
"We are projecting the shell of the building to be finished in the spring (April/May) and businesses opening their doors not too long after that," Anderson stated in the Monday email. "We have just paved 58th Street, paved the new turn lane leading onto 58th Street, and the new stoplight will be delivered and installed in the next three weeks."