The developer of a unique urban mixed-use concept in Wilmington is pre-leasing the first residential portion of a project that incorporates shipping containers.

Nine new container homes at 1602 Queen St. in The Cargo District, described as an "urban market and coworking village," are available for rent, with completion set for June, according to a news release.

Owned and developed by L.S. Smith Inc. and designed by Rob Romero of Romero Architecture, the nine stand-alone apartments use 18 locally-sourced shipping containers and mark the first phase of residential development expected for The Cargo District, the release stated.

“This initial phase of development is just the beginning for The Cargo District. We’re also planning more apartments, a coffee shop and a food truck park,” said Leslie Smith, owner of L.S. Smith Inc. and developer of The Cargo District, in the release.

The Cargo District conceptual plans include the use of upcycled intermodal shipping containers to create a mix of retail, office and residential spaces. According to the release, the nine one-bedroom “Live + Work” units are the first set of container homes, built using two 20-foot containers integrated with traditional building materials to provide about 600 square feet of living space.

The release stated that each container apartment is available for rent at $1,050 per month, a price that includes water, sewer, trash and basic internet service.

On the lower level, each Live + Work unit will feature a full-size kitchen with a reverse osmosis filtration system, large living room, paved patio, small garden and off-street parking for a single vehicle, according to the release. On the second level, the units will include a bedroom, bathroom, walk-in closet, stackable washer and dryer and private balcony.

The release stated that Smith is also planning 50 to 70 additional one- to two-bedroom apartments created with more than 200 containers. More details are available online.

Smith said in the release, “We’ve had a tremendous response from the public on this first phase of apartments."