A gynecologist who lives in Carolina Beach plans to open a practice on Shipyard Boulevard in December, she said Thursday.

Dr. Nadine Antonelli, formerly of Azalea Gynecology in Wilmington, leased a 1,730-square-foot office building at 3720 Shipyard Boulevard. Mike Brown of Cape Fear Commercial represented Antonelli in the transaction.

Antonelli said her target opening date for Seashore Women's Health is Dec. 1. She said she chose the Shipyard office because it had in years past served as a gynecologist's office and because of its location for patients coming from Wilmington and nearby communities, such as Hampstead, Porters Neck and Jacksonville.

"I didn't want to move too far from central Wilmington," she said. "And it's on a major thoroughfare. You can see the office when you're driving by."

An area of expertise for Antonelli, who completed her residency at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, is menopausal management, she said.

Kim Griffin, general manager of Akron Properites in Durham, said his company owns 3720, 3724 and parts of 3722 Shipyard Boulevard, a small office park that he developed in in the 1980s. According to New Hanover County property tax records, 3720 and 3724 Shipyard Boulevard are currently valued at $169,100.

Akron Properties bought 1,206-square-foot Unit C at 3722 Shipyard Boulevard on Sept. 29 from Capital Ideas Inc. of Raleigh. Glenn Imboden of Harley & Associates Commercial Real Estate Inc. represented the seller and Jim Quinn of Creative Commercial Properites represented the buyer in the transaction.

Griffin said Thursday that Unit C, leased to Plan A Advertising, will continue to be a rental unit.