Eye catching Wilmington Eye CEO navigates growth Page 9
August 6 - 19, 2021 Vol. 22, No. 15
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Health help
Michael Jordan medical clinics advance Page 6
Driving dollars
Transportation funding changes sought Page 8
PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER
Auspicious beginning: Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington welcomed thousands of Widespread Panic fans in July.
Index Banking & Finance .............................4-5 Health Care ........................................... 6 Economic Development.......................... 8 In Profile................................................. 9 The List ................................................11 Real Estate .................................... 18-19 Business of Life.............................. 22-23
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Crowd pleaser NEW CONCERT VENUE AMPS UP ECONOMIC GROWTH DOWNTOWN BY CHRISTINA HALEY ocally owned boutique hotel The Hive had just one suite left as of late July in advance of Miranda Lambert’s performance in Wilmington on Aug. 7.
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And during the sold-out Widespread Panic show last month for the debut of the city’s new Riverfront Park and amphitheater, The Hive not only hosted the band, but several other visitors who came to downtown Wilmington for the weekend-long concert series. “Our experience with the first concert was insane. We were on a 59-person waitlist for people that wanted to stay with us. And we
couldn’t accommodate some people because we actually had Widespread Panic staying with us … they took basically one whole building, so we had even fewer rooms to rent,” said Kaylie O’Connor, who co-owns the hotel with Robert Rosenberg. The 15-suite hotel, located in two buildings at 505 N. Second St., is starting to see an uptick in business, she said. “Typically, people don’t book very far out … but for concerts, we’re definitely filling up faster,” O’Connor said. That’s the type of business boost officials are anticipating from activity around the new amphitheater – recently named Live Oak Bank Pavilion. And local leaders envision more jobs, increasing revenues and development to come, all sparked by the
amped-up activity and tourism the concerts bring. The 7,200-person venue managed by Live Nation pins the city on the destination map for music, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said. “The economic impact of these concerts is dramatic,” Saffo said. This year is already bringing in big acts such as Lambert, Carlos Santana, 311 and Lady A. The venue so far has 16 upcoming shows on the calendar with performances scheduled as far out as May 2022, according to the schedule as of press time. Upcoming concerts have Ellie Craig, Front Street Brewery’s sales and marketing manager, preparing now for more traffic through the restaurant and brewery. “I know that there were some See CONCERTS, page 12
