The convenience of having a trail near residential communities can be seen on a sunny Belville morning at the Brunswick Riverwalk.  
 
There are people walking and running at the riverwalk’s 1/3-mile trail and using the picnic shelters, playgrounds and other amenities at the park.
 
While the riverwalk is accessible and often used by residents from nearby neighborhoods, Jim Bucher, park manager for the town of Belville, said the riverwalk was developed with the surrounding community in mind.
 
“The whole region uses our riverwalk,” Bucher said. “We built our park for the region, not just for Belville.”
 
Such projects, whether planned by municipalities or developers, can add to a community’s list of quality-of life and health activities – providing additional options for residents to get moving and, potentially, make nearby neighborhoods more attractive to homebuyers.
 
Belville’s riverwalk, located by the Brunswick River off River Road, had its grand opening in 2016.
 
The project was overseen by former town commissioner Joe Breault, who had the vision of building  a riverwalk with open classrooms, trails, a boardwalk and fishing pier, Bucher said.
 
The park cost $390,000 with the town paying half, Breault said in an email.
 
“We (the town) had five years to complete it, and we did it in two years under budget, and it didn’t cost the taxpayers a dime,” Bucher said. “Mr. Breault was able to obtain grants and several other pledges by Duke Energy to build a classroom.”
 
While the first phase of the riverwalk is complete, phase two, which would take the boardwalk down to Old River Road, could start construction in about two to five years when the town gets the required budget, Bucher said.  
 
Besides offering a place for people to exercise and enjoy nature, the park also economically promotes the surrounding residential communities.
 
“I think it has a huge importance, especially for the value of your home,” Bucher said. “I think it increases the value of the area.”
 
On July 12, the Belville Town Planning Board approved preliminary site plans for a 144-unit luxury apartment complex that would be built along River Road, within walking distance to the riverwalk. Belville commissioners have not yet voted to approve the plans.
 
The apartment project is part of plans to develop a $200 million mixed-use project that would connect to a 22-acre riverfront park and include condos, retail, restaurants, entertainment, office space and a waterfront hotel. Those plans are on hold due to past lawsuits between the town and the developer, Urban Smart Growth.
 
“What we hope in the future is to have Mayfaire-style storefronts on the bottom and condos above them and a restaurant with a marina,” Bucher said.
 
Across county lines, the 15-mile Gary Shell Wilmington Cross-City Trail is one essential amenity the city offers and is a tool for luring businesses, residents and tourists to the area, said Amy Beatty, community services director for the city of Wilmington, who describes the trail as the city’s spine.
 
The multi-purpose trail, which spans from Eastwood Road to Wade Park, was led by former Wilmington Parks and Recreation Director Gary Shell and was completed in 10 years with a $10 million price tag.
 
“Seventy percent of (the total cost) was funded through external agencies, grants and land donations,” Beatty said. “We keep counts of the usage of the trail at three different points on the trail, and we see increases in use year over year.”
 
Wilmington had been behind other communities when it came to trails, which demonstrated the need for the project, Beatty said.
 
“Walking and biking facilities always rank at the top of the amenities,” Beatty said. “So we’re trying to respond and get these things built.”
 
Most recently, the city completed improvements at Empie Park at 3405 Park Ave. The project, which was part of the city’s 2006 parks bond, includes five additional tennis courts, 61 additional parking spaces and sidewalk connections to the cross-city trail.
 
“Most importantly, the project also provided connectivity from Wrightsville Avenue to Park Avenue, so you can enter from either way,” Beatty said. “That was important for transportation reasons but also for social equity reasons.”
 
Communities have expectations about having parks and recreational opportunities available where they live, and that can motivate people and businesses to move to the region, Beatty said.
 
“I know quality of life is probably an overused buzzword. But we do continually hear that from our business community, especially in respect to some of our new tech companies that are locating in Wilmington that may have a younger workforce population,” she said. “Those folks expect to have parks, athletic and recreation opportunities. And so to the extent that the city can, we will contribute to increasing our economic influence and attract those types of businesses to Wilmington.”
 
Besides organizations developing trails for residents, some local private institutions have also engaged in building infrastructures that promote healthy living.
 
Mayfaire, a shopping, dining and entertainment center at Military Cutoff Road, held a grand opening in early June for its new 2.8-mile walking trail.
 
The trail is sponsored by New Hanover Regional Medical Center and was created with “an emphasis on preventive health care, fitness, responsible self-care and health education,” stated a news release. NHRMC representatives plan to be on-site quarterly to provide health services and information to walkers.
 
“Together we were able to create an attractive and safe path for residents, hotel guests, employees and customers to walk,” Kurt Bohlmann, general manager of Mayfaire, said in the release.
 
At the Brunswick Riverwalk at Belville, the community has been increasingly using the facility, and its farmers market that includes products by Seaview Crab Co., Great Harvest Bread Co., Noni Bacca Winery and Little Boys Produce among other businesses.
 
The Eagles Island Community Rowing club will also use the facility to store boats and have a launching pier.
 
With phase two of the riverwalk in the works, phase three, which could extend it to Battleship North Carolina via a bicycle and pedestrian boardwalk, is still in sight.
 
“That’s our Walt Disney dream, to bring it across the river and to the Battleship North Carolina,” Bucher said. “I mean you have to have a plan; you have to have a dream to make it come true. But phase two is our goal now. Phase three, you know, it all depends on how things go down the line.”