The developer who bought the former Coca-Cola bottling facility in downtown Wilmington at the end of last year recently bought the adjacent property at 909 Market St.

Osprey Lands LLC paid $1.1 million to purchase the site where the Wilmington office of WK Dickson & Co., a planning, design, and engineering consulting firm, is located. The previous owner of the property was PSP Properties LLC.

Jim McFarland of Osprey Lands LLC said Friday that the 1.79 acres at 909 Market St. could potentially be the site of a new drug store in the future. He's working with drug store chains on the possibility, and said he's optimistic about bringing one of them to the property.

McFarland said he's also focused on attracting a grocery store to the former Coca-Cola bottling facility property that his company bought in December, which is adjacent to 909 Market St.

"I believe we are on the cusp of an announcement of who it [the grocery store] will be," McFarland said. "There's no doubt in my mind that that is the most needed thing in that area, and it will be the biggest game-changing driver of that area."

In McFarland's 909 Market St. purchase, he was represented by Jonathan Washburn, a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial SunCoast and an attorney who also handled the closing. Will Leonard and Hank Miller of Cape Fear Commercial represented the seller.

On Saturday, the city of Wilmington and the local consulting firms the city has hired are hosting a workshop to gather community ideas on what they want to see in the area that includes the former Coca-Cola bottling facility and McFarland's most recent purchase. The area has been referred to as the Soda Pop District and includes 9th through 11th streets from Chestnut to Market streets.  

Phil Prete, senior planner with the city of Wilmington, said the workshop will help produce a concept plan that includes suggestions for redevelopment, streetscape improvements and other input.