Property owned by New Hanover County could soon be the focus of the next major redevelopment effort in downtown Wilmington.

Bordered by Third, Chestnut, Second and Grace streets, the area is the subject of a request for qualifications and proposals to study development possibilities in what officials call an underused city block, according to an announcement from Wilmington Downtown Inc.

The property, about 3 acres, includes the main branch of the New Hanover County Public Library, Story Park, an EMS facility and a 650-space parking deck, all of which must remain on the block, although “there is the potential for reconfiguration,” the request says. The request also says the county services "could be incorporated into new buildings proposed at the site.”

WDI, one of New Hanover County's economic development partners, is leading the effort to find a firm or firms that can conduct a market demand analysis and a site analysis “to determine viable development opportunities" for the property. The results of the studies, which could eventually lead to a private-public partnership, are expected to be complete by next summer and will be presented to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners at that time, the WDI announcement said.

Along with the county facilities, the property includes surface parking lots and an unused county building. The former Register of Deeds office is vacant after the department was relocated to newly renovated space at 320 Chestnut St. Currently, the former Register of Deeds location is “not particularly useful” for commercial or office purposes, the proposal request says.

Clark Henry, a land planner with CIII Associates and a WDI board member, said his firm plans to respond to the request, calling the site a rare chance to help accommodate growth while enhancing downtown and the region. As a respondant, Henry would not participate in any WDI evaluations of the proposals.

“Downtown, there’s only so much land, and most of the land is already built as intensely as it can be built,” Henry said Wednesday. “There’s not a lot of low-hanging fruit like this where it’s just a parking lot on one side ... and then I think there’s the opportunity to really take advantage of the development momentum that downtown is already experiencing.”

New Hanover County government and civic leaders decided the timing is right to study ways to maximize the property's potential because of several factors, said Ed Wolverton, president and CEO of WDI. They include strong recent interest in infill development in downtown WIlmington, the fact that the Hampton Inn under construction on Grace Street is expected to open in December and the Register of Deeds move from the property this year.

"There's a sense that now is a really good opportunity to go ahead and bring this forward," Wolverton said.

The city of Wilmington started a similar effort in 2013, paying $50,000 to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative to evaluate current and future uses for the failing, city-owned Water Street parking deck.

As a result, the city entered into an agreement with Chapel Hill-based East West Partners that will turn the deck into a multi-story, mixed-use development with 92 condominiums, 78 apartments and parking and retail space. Crews began utility work on the site in September, and the deck will be closed starting Nov. 30 ahead of the deck’s demolition.  

Now that process has potentially begun with the county-owned downtown property. The request's overview explains some of the site’s potential.

“The County-owned blocks provide an exceptional opportunity to expand the tax base and stimulate new economic growth. Keys to this assessment are the surface parking lots along Grace Street, expanded plaza space along 3rd Street and the County parking deck,” the proposal request says.

The lots and plaza area “could be leased or sold to a private investor to construct new buildings for commercial or residential uses. As the land is adjacent to the County parking deck, this key piece of infrastructure is already in place to serve new users on the block – thereby making the site more appealing as parking is already addressed and available.”

The building that houses the library's main branch was formerly a department store, originally built in 1951. When Belk moved to Independence Mall in the late 1970s, the three-story steel-frame structure with non-load bearing brick walls was converted into the library’s main branch. The building is 101,000 square feet, with space taken up by an atrium and a large amount used for storing materials, county officials said.

According to the WDI request for proposals, only “about 30,000 square feet will be needed to meet the mission of the library.” By contrast, the Northeast branch of the library is only 25,000 square feet. In a potential redevelopment plan, the recently completed Story Park beside the main branch would have to remain in place.

The county parking garage has an occupancy rate of 40 percent, with primary users including the library, visitors to the County Courthouse, the Courtyard by Marriott hotel and nearby workers, the request says. The Hampton Inn under construction downtown is also expected to rely on the facility when the hotel opens, according to WDI.

Submissions responding to the request for qualifications and proposals are due to WDI by 4 p.m. Dec. 2, with WDI's proposal review process expected to begin around Dec. 5. 

"This project, should the Board of Commissioners choose to move forward after reviewing the findings, could be a prime example of a public-private partnership that meets the goal of the county to create and support a vibrant and culturally diverse community that encourages private investment," WDI's announcement said.