Developers and stakeholders gathered in Carolina Beach on Wednesday morning for a ceremonial groundbreaking of The Proximity, a large mixed-use project underway in a highly visible area of town. 

The anticipated project spans 12.5 acres, with frontage on North Lake Park Boulevard. 

As vegetation grew, a fading Harris Teeter sign promised for years to bring activity to the location – before next-door Publix arrived in 2019 and beat its grocery rival in a legal battle over street interconnectivity. 

Now, bulldozers and large pipes line the site, cleared of debris and ready for development. “We understood that this was one of the last large pieces of developable land on the island,” said Brian Eckel, a partner with Cape Fear Development. 

The Proximity will be a mixed-use complex set to feature multiple restaurants; office, retail and live-work space; a fitness and pool center; and apartments. When it was approved, plans called for 250 units. 

Developers hope the project will be completed by summer 2024. 

Eckel’s team developed the Publix shopping center first. When developers first attempted to get a text amendment approved for The Proximity in 2021, they faced stiff resistance. “After a 7-0 vote for denial during the first text amendment hearing, we were shell-shocked,” Eckel said. “But I knew that if we connect with the people of Carolina Beach, we'd be able to propose a project that would earn the support of the town.”

Eckel said he and fellow Cape Fear Development partner, Mike Brown, held 21 meetings after that planning board hearing denial. “We wanted to hear it all and we definitely did,” he said. “Feedback from the residents who took time to come and talk to us has been invaluable for this project, made Proximity a far better project and I believe a real testament to the culture here at Carolina Beach.” 

Some negotiated conditions include prohibiting short-term rentals for fewer than 90 days, allowing town residents to access pool memberships and upgrading the nearby traffic light with a pedestrian signal. 

Carolina Beach Mayor Lynn Barbee said The Proximity is the first major project to navigate the town’s conditional approval process, following recent changes in state law that he said previously prevented sit-down discussions about plans before reaching the council for approval. 

“What a difference,” Barbee said. “It started with the developer talking to the residents. I mean, that is a huge, huge change for us. And I think you see it in what they've done and what they plan to do here.”

Barbee said Eckel’s team created a prototype for “how to engage the community” for anyone interested in developing on Carolina Beach. “I think you're going to see this continue and development will be done a little differently in our town. And this is our first shot at it, so I want to thank those guys for being the change agents,” he said. 

Former Carolina Beach mayor and vice-chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners LeAnn Pierce said the project represented exactly what residents had indicated they wanted when developing the town’s land-use plan. 

“The Proximity is more than just stores and apartments,” said Bryan Thomas, CEO of Monteith Construction Corp., the project's builder. “It is people's livelihoods. And it's people's homes. So that makes this important.”