“Int’l Paper scales back 10,000-acre plan” – July 2000

Two decades ago, it looked like Brunswick County would soon grow by 10,000 dwellings in one development.
 
International Paper owned nearly 5,000 acres in northern Brunswick, and the county’s planning board approved an IP plan that included 10,000 residential units and a lengthy list of amenities.
 
Although the 10,000 units didn’t come to fruition as IP envisioned, a popular master planned community, Brunswick Forest, did spring up in the fast-growing northern end of the county.
 
That’s after IP sold the land around 2003 to Matt Long of Lord Baltimore Corp. and Jeff Earp. Since then Brunswick Forest has grown to about 3,000 residential units, mainly single-family homes but also some townhome duplexes, as well as a number of amenities that include a golf course, a fitness and wellness center, parks, trails and a boat launch.
 
Brunswick Forest and Brunswick County continue to grow, attracting retirees and those looking for value in a bedroom community of Wilmington and in other parts of Brunswick.
 
The county often ranks as the fastest-growing in the state from year to year, including in 2019. From July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2019, it is estimated that the population of Brunswick County increased by 4% or 5,940 residents, according to county statistics. The figures also show that from 2010 to 2019, the county had a growth rate of 32%, gaining about 34,800 residents.