Last year, investors continued to view sectors of the Wilmington area’s commercial real estate market, including medical facilities, multi-family properties, office and industrial space and shopping centers, as solid investments.

Local brokers say they hope that steady momentum will continue.

Julie Stephenson, a broker with Eastern Carolinas Commercial Real Estate, said residential growth is drawing a lot of attention to the Cape Fear region. With residential growth comes more interest from commercial developers and investors.

“Being a Wilmington native I’ve seen the ‘small town’ transform. I see a tremendous amount of growth in Wilmington and in the surrounding counties that come from the baby boomers and retirees,” said Stephenson, whose firm was involved in some of the highest-priced transactions of 2016.

The following are some, but not all, of the highest-priced commercial real estate purchases, excluding apartment sales, that were completed last year in New Hanover and Pender counties. The list is based on N.C. Commercial Multiple Listing Service records and previous Greater Wilmington Business Journal stories.

Medical Real Estate

Transaction amount: $26.4 million

Addresses: 3787 Shipyard Blvd., 2716 Ashton Drive, Wilmington

Buyer: Montecito Medical Real Estate

Details: The properties contain OrthoWilmington, now EmergeOrtho, buildings. In the leaseback transaction, EmergeOrtho doctors reinvested in a new owner partnership.

Gateway Shopping Center

Transaction amount: $7.6 million

Address: Gateway Plaza Shopping Center on N.C. 50, Surf City

Buyer: Bell Enterprises Inc. bought the center from the original developer and selling entities, Surf City Gateway Plaza Inc. and Palladium at Surf City LLC.

Details: The nearly 48,000-square-foot center on N.C. 50 is anchored by a Family Dollar location and a Sherwin Williams paint store.

Industrial Facility

Transaction amount: $4.9 million

Address: 421 Landmark Drive, Wilmington

Buyer: Noelle Landmark Drive LLC

Details: A 240,000-square-foot facility on a 14-acre lot in Landmark Industrial Park; came fully occupied with other tenants in addition to Noelle. The buyer is a company managed by the president of Noelle LLC, a national women’s clothing and accessory manufacturer and wholesaler that had been leasing part of the facility.

Hampstead Shopping Center

Transaction amount: $4.4 million

Address: 14560 U.S. 17, Hampstead

Buyer: Caliber Capital

Details: The firm purchased the Food Lion-anchored center that contains about 50,000 square feet of space and two outparcels, from DMI, the center’s original developers.

Masonboro Shopping Center

Transaction amount: $3.3 million

Address: Masonboro Commons, 6400 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington

Buyer: Atlanta-based Caliber Capital, part of a two-center portfolio purchase that included Hampstead Station

Details: Another Food Lion-anchored center

Office Space

Transaction amount: $4.4 million

Address: 700 Military Cutoff Road, Wilmington

Buyer: Long Creek Holdings, a Florida limited liability company owned by multiple trusts

Details: Long Creek Holdings bought the second and third floors of the Howe Creek Landing office building, one of two office buildings in the complex.

John D. Barry Drive Lot

Transaction amount: $2.6 million

Address: 807 John D. Barry Drive and 4301 S. 17th St., Wilmington

Buyer: Leon Capital Group, based in Dallas, with an office in Charlotte

Details: Developers are building Arbor Commons, a mixed-use commercial center with a Lidl grocery store anchor, a 10,300-square-foot structure that will include retail tenants and a 45,000-squarefoot office building on the vacant land.

Market Street Center Retail/Office Center

Transaction amount: $2.1 million

Address: 7419- 7491 Market St., Ogden

Buyer: Parker Investments USA LLC

Details: Three parcels were involved.

Former Theater Property

Transaction amount: $2.05 million

Address: 5335 Oleander Drive, Wilmington

Buyer: Swain & Associates

Details: A potential site of redevelopment, the building on the 6-acre parcel used to house a Carmike movie theater.

Medical Office

Transaction amount: $1.85 million

Address: 1120 Medical Center Drive, occupied by Coastal Carolina Eye Clinic

Buyer: MedSouth Healthcare Properties LLC

Details: “This marks our second medical office acquisition in Wilmington and further solidifies our interest within the area for quality medical office opportunities,” said Bill Transou, co-founder and principal of Charlotte-based MedSouth, in a news release. In July 2015, MedSouth bought seven medical office buildings, six in Wilmington and one in Leland, for $9.5 million.

Gordon Road Lot

Transaction amount: $1.4 million

Address: 6760 Gordon Road, Wilmington

Buyer: Gordon Road Storage LLC

Details: 8 acres of land – The website of Coastal Mini Storage of Wilmington says a facility is coming soon to the property.