Part of continuing change in a downtown neighborhood, more businesses and residents have started calling the Castle Street Arts & Antiques district home in recent months.

And more could be coming this year.

“What I’m finding is there’s more demand for the street than there are properties available,” said Terry Espy, broker in charge with Momentum Companies, a commercial real estate and development firm.

Espy was recently involved in the sale of 507 Castle St. to a former Wilmington resident who plans to make some improvements to the building, a 115-year-old church that more recently held an antiques store, and lease it to a tenant. Cheryl Luse bought the property for $175,000 from Michael Moore, who owns Michael Moore Antiques at 539 Castle St. and has been a leader in the area’s revitalization efforts.

“There’s been an upswing on Castle Street over the last few years,” Espy said, citing the openings of Rx Restaurant and Bar, as well as a home store and design center by interior designer Meg Caswell, as two examples. “There are groups that just kind of want to ride the wave and see that become more of an interesting shopping destination and community.”

One of the latest openings on Castle Street combines residential and retail space. Urban Oasis at 608 Castle St., a building designed by Bruce Bowman of BMS Architects and constructed by Harold K. Jordan & Company Inc., opened in December with 11 two-bedroom apartments, said developer Matt Scharf. The 900-square-foot apartments rent for $975 a month.

Scharf said he estimates that the building is the first new construction on the street in several decades. In the bottom floor is a store called Whatever...Wilmington, which also opened in December, selling a variety of vintage movie and TV  memorabilia, hard-to-find comic books and other collectibles.

Whatever...Wilmington owner Kenyata Sullivan said he felt it was a good time to open “a pop culture curiosity shop” in the district.

“I think Castle Street just kind of spoke to me,” said Sullivan, who has sold collectibles on eBay for 20 years. “It’s just a great mix of varied kinds of people, just a nice eclectic space.”

The ongoing revitalization doesn’t include all parts of the thoroughfare. Castle Street has received some negative attention recently after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed and four other teens injured in a drive-by shooting in December at Castle and 11th streets.

But those invested in the area say they believe the community will continue to experience a resurgence.

“Right now, the revitalization tends to end at about Seventh Street, and I’m sure it will continue to go up the street. There’s some interest in doing something in those infill lots. I think that will help,” Espy said.

In the arts and antique district, some businesses have come and gone. A vendor space called Urban Revival closed at the end of December, but a new store has opened in its place.

A business that subleased space from Urban Revival in September, Decades of Décor, has leased all of the 5,000 square feet that had been Urban Revival’s home at 606 Castle St. for a little more than two years.

With the expansion, Decades of Décor owner Dawn Glover is selling more of what her business specializes in – mid-century modern furniture and accessories.

Explaining a reason behind Urban Revival’s closure, co-owner Steven Fox said, “I think we just opened a little sooner than we should have and had higher expectations than we needed to have for the time we opened.”

Fox and the other owner, Jamie Thomasson, began welcoming customers to Urban Revival in 2013. Although the street traffic didn’t live up to their hopes, interest in Castle Street by business owners and shoppers continues to build, Fox said, and he’s optimistic about future growth in the district, where he and Thomasson also own Jester’s Café.

“It’s been a struggle for a lot of people for a lot of years. I think this time, looking forward, I can see it really growing,” Fox said.

Alex Odom and Phil Floyd expanded one of their businesses on Castle Street in October. Currently located in more than 2,000 square feet at 315 Castle St., AlPhi’s Chic Boutique features more than 30 vendors, selling their art and goods, including fresh eggs and produce and local honey. They also own AlPhi’s Bistro on Castle, a coffee shop at 320 Castle St. expected to become a full-service bistro.

Odom and Floyd had considered opening a business on Castle Street a few years ago, but those plans fell through.

“When we came back [in 2014], we saw how much business was thriving here,” Odom said.

Odom said he and Floyd wanted to be part of the revitalization.

“I felt that we could bring great products to the community and also to bring … some camaraderie to the neighborhood that also helps to up the image a little bit because Castle Street has had a bad rep for a while,” Odom said.

But Odom and other business owners said positive things are now happening on the street, particularly in the arts and antique district. They also said they welcome the construction of Urban Oasis.

“They like that there’s not only something new on the street, but Castle Street’s moving in the right direction,” Scharf said.