The 2014 Wilmington Real Estate Awards honor individuals and organizations that have worked to make the community a more vibrant place to live. The following is a list of the winners, chosen by a judging panel of government and organizational leaders.

Affordable Housing: Robert R. Taylor Estates, Wilmington Housing Authority
Robert R. Taylor Estates is a 192-unit affordable housing project that anchors the city’s Northside neighborhood. Built on the former site of a public housing complex, Taylor Estates was initiated through an inclusive community planning process.
 
Arts, Culture & Heritage: Bellamy Mansion Museum-Slave Quarters Restoration Campaign
This campaign was a decade-long community-wide labor of love resulting in the restoration of the rare extant slave quarters located at the rear of the historic Bellamy mansion site. The first floor is now open for public tours.

Community Builder: Frankie Roberts, LINC
Since 2000, Frankie Roberts has been the executive director of Leading Into New Communities (LINC) Inc., a nonprofit agency he co-founded with Tracey Ray. LINC’s mission is to provide shelter and services to men and women who have been released from local jails, state and/or federal prisons and on occasion young adults who have been released from detention centers. Additionally, LINC provides services for children who are at risk due to parental incarceration.

Lifetime Achievement: Charles Boney Jr., LS3P principal and vice president
A widely respected architect and community advocate, Charles Boney Jr. has been a key figure in LS3P’s local growth. He joined the architecture firm founded by his grandfather, Leslie N. Boney, in the 1980s. Boney Architects and LS3P Associates merged in 2005. Boney, principal and vice president in the firm’s Wilmington office, has worked on a number of projects in the area including the Wilmington Convention Center, New Hanover Regional Medical Center additions, Thalian Hall renovations, Cape Fear Community College Humanities and Fine Arts Center and Wilmington Police Department headquarters.
 
New Construction – Commercial: Live Oak Bank Headquarters, 1741 Tiburon Drive
Designed for integration into its environment, the 36,500-square-foot office building captures views from every workspace, preserving as much of the undisturbed site as possible. Features include a 50-seat tiered digital conference room, fitness center and an exterior deck.
 
New Construction – Residential: NOFO9
NOFO9 is a residential building designed and built specifically for the corner of Brunswick and North Third streets in downtown Wilmington. The location, across from the Cape Fear Community College’s Humanities and Fine Arts Center, contains several floor-to-ceiling windows that were created to capture the beauty and energy of downtown.
 
Placemaking: Brooklyn Arts Center, 516 N. Fourth St.
The Brooklyn Arts Center is a multi-use event venue located in a repurposed historic church in downtown Wilmington’s up-and-coming North Fourth Street neighborhood, hosting weddings, concerts, film shoots, fundraisers, and other special events throughout the year.

Public Policy: Brunswick County Commissioners-Deferral of Fees
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners approved an interim policy, procedures and conditions related to the deferral of the fees for new single-family residential, multifamily residential and commercial construction to be served by the county’s water and sewer system in jurisdictions where the county has building permitting and inspection authority.
 
Rehab: Pender Memorial Hospital-Outpatient Services Renovation
The main purpose was to relocate and upgrade the hospital’s CT Scanner to improve privacy, safety and efficiency for patients and staff. Other renovations included adding Pender Memorial’s first gift shop, expanded chapel, new emergency center entrance, expanded lobbies, improvements in landscaping and exterior garden and renovated main lobby.  
 
Reuse: DREAMS of Wilmington Center for Arts Education
In 2012, DREAMS, a youth development arts program for economically disadvantaged young people ages 8-17 moved into a newly renovated arts center. The new home previously was a City of Wilmington, 1939-era, 12,000-square-foot bus maintenance garage. The art center houses art and pottery studios as well as music and dance spaces.