In a small Pender County town with big plans for its future, 231 acres of undeveloped land along the Intracoastal Waterway could one day be the site of new homes and businesses.
 
Brokers Bryce Morrison and Paul S. Loukas of Wilmington-based Cape Fear Commercial have recently listed the Surf City property for sale, Morrison said Tuesday.

The land, which has been in the Sullivan family for generations, is located on the mainland of Surf City along N.C. 50, stretching from the intersection of N.C. 210 and N.C. 50 toward the Surf City bridge. No asking price has been set yet, Morrison and Loukas said.
 
The property is currently zoned rural agricultural, but Surf City officials have said they could see the area potentially being zoned in the future to allow for a mix of single- and multi-family homes with some commercial space, said Morrison, vice president of Cape Fear Commercial.
 
“You might find other large tracts with waterfront, but they’re not going to be adjacent to the commercial hub of Surf City, where commercial retail development is thriving,” said Morrison, who was the leasing agent, as well as the outparcel selling agent, for the nearby Gateway Plaza and Promenade shopping centers.
 
A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market opened in the Promenade center in 2014. New additions to the town of Surf City are in the works this year, including the N.C. Department of Transportation’s ongoing plans for a new high-level bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and the expected opening of a Cape Fear Community College satellite campus.
 
Right-of-way acquisition for the new bridge is expected to begin this year, with construction planned to start in 2017, according to the N.C. DOT.
 
Located about 25 miles south of Jacksonville and 25 miles north of Wilmington, the community has a little more than 2,000 residents, according to 2013 U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

“Surf City is primed to become the economic driver for the region,” the town’s website says.
 
Meanwhile, Morrison said he and Loukas expect to see a lot of activity from potential buyers as they market the Sullivans' 231 acres.

“It’s such a rare opportunity,” Morrison said.