An entertainment and recreation complex proposed on Oleander Drive could bring bowling, axe throwing, arcade games and pickleball to the growing Wilmington corridor.

Project developers have plans for a roughly 40,800-square-foot entertainment center on just over six acres at 5601 Oleander Drive. Before those plans can take shape, the site needs to be rezoned. 

Strikes LLC is requesting a conditional rezoning of the site from its current commercial business district to a regional business district. Strikes LLC is a limited liability company registered to W. Cecil Worsley, III, who is chairman of Port City Java and president and CEO of Springer Eubank Co.

The Wilmington Planning Commission is set to consider the rezoning at its Feb. 5 meeting. After that, the rezoning will go to the Wilmington City Council for consideration.

​“Should our project be approved, we look forward to bringing Wilmington a high-quality, locally owned entertainment option along the Oleander Drive corridor where the whole family can gather to eat, play and celebrate all under one roof," a member of the Strikes project team stated in an email Wednesday afternoon.

According to conceptual plans, the approximately 29,100-square-foot first floor of the complex (rendering shown below at right) would have 10 bowling lanes, arcade games, shuffleboard, soft darts, air hockey tables and axe throwing. Plans also show a kitchen area, private rooms and an indoor bar area that opens up to the outside.

A second-floor, roughly 11,600-square-foot mezzanine would include duckpin bowling, a billiards area, multisport simulators and other gaming areas. Outside, developers have plans for six pickleball courts and an area for cornhole and other yard games.

There’s also room for future growth. Plans show the potential for another 10,800-square-foot building on the site.

Developers note recent residential growth along the Oleander Drive corridor in their rezoning application and say the area’s entertainment options haven’t kept up.

“New mixed-use developments like Bradley Creek Station complement the existing retail and office offerings along the corridor but have to date delivered with few if any entertainment opportunities such as restaurants, upscale bar concepts, or other social and community-centric uses,” the application states. “Simply put, you can live and work in exceptional new developments along the Oleander Drive corridor but where can you gather for entertainment and to socialize?”

The application notes that plans are being finalized for a traffic signal in front of the property at the intersection of Oleander Drive and Dogwood Lane. The site would have access from driveways on Oleander Drive and Park Avenue and the River to Sea Bikeway. 

There are several small buildings on the site, which formerly housed an internet café and a playground equipment supplier or were used for storage. The businesses are no longer in operation on the site, according to planning commission documents. Mona Black Enterprises LLC has owned the property for decades, property records show.

The project’s developers state their project helps support the corridor’s growth and commercial development.

“The corridor is transitioning from a modest and low-density artery connecting the beach and the eastern sections of the city to a vibrant commercial destination with increasing density,” they state in their application. “Supporting the continuation of this transition are pockets of undeveloped or underdeveloped land, such as this property, fronting or in the vicinity of the corridor.”