See, food Family opens Coquina Fishbar Page 19
February 19 - March 4, 2021 Vol. 22, No. 4
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Catchy catamarans Boatbuilder expands Page 8
Moving forward
New leader for area’s transit Page 9
Index Economic Indicators .............................. 3 Technology ............................................. 4 The List ......................................5, 14, 17 Hospitality ..........................................6-7 In Profile................................................. 9 Real Estate..................................... 12-13 Business of Life.............................. 18-19
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER
Road to change: Holly Childs, CEO and president of Wilmington Downtown Inc., aims to raise the bar for downtown economic development.
DOWNTOWN MOMENTUM EFFORTS AIM TO LURE NEW BUSINESSES, SUPPORT EXISTING ONES BY JENNY CALLISON
W
hen Holly Childs arrived in Wilmington recently, she landed in a downtown undergoing major transformations. Parks and county facilities are being reimagined, historic buildings continue to be renovated and adapted to new uses, large-scale housing developments are bringing more residents downtown and downtown merchants are thinking in new ways. So it’s perhaps not surprising that Wilmington Downtown Inc., of
which Childs is the new CEO and president, is rethinking its mission and priorities. “WDI has a long history in this city,” Childs said, noting that its first incarnation, the Downtown Area Revitalization Effort (DARE), was created in 1977. “It grew from revitalizing to reactivating. It was ‘main street’ focused and events focused.” One of the major events was WDI’s summertime Downtown Sundown concert series, which brought people downtown at a time when the central business district was not a big draw. But times have changed: Downtown restaurants, shops and entertainment venues – as well as the Riverwalk – have turned the area into a destination. So WDI’s board is ready to refocus. “The board is in the position of, ‘We’ve been doing this for a while,
but how can we raise the bar and sustain and create some real economic development groups downtown?’” Childs said. “They are very interested in changing from an events organization to an economic development organization.” She explains that this new mission has three “pillars.” One is expanding WDI’s existing services such as loans for small businesses. Another is helping to drive projects that will have significant economic impact. The third pillar is pursuing partnerships that will address issues. “We are looking at other organizations we can partner with,” Childs said. “A prime example is [working with] Port City Trolley and Wave on what we can do for public transportation, which is critical to downtown development. The North Waterfront See DOWNTOWN, page 10
