Big plans are in the works for the intersection of Gordon Road and North College. Plans call for a 250,000 square foot shopping center.
Resident Cliff Harris said, "Quite frankly, we need it. The opportunity for people who live in my area not to have to travel large distances because of the cost of fuel. And it would be an opportunity to walk to where we need to go and get what we need. I think it's excellent."
The plan calls for 400 plus apartments, a grocery store, and hundreds of thousands of square feet of shopping space.
"I feel that we have too much of a traffic jam in that area already and another development would increase the traffic risks in that area," said resident Faye Todd.
The lot is zoned for commercial use only, so before the complex can become a reality, the area would have to be re-zoned.
New Hanover County Commissioner Bill Castor said, "They'd have to go through the planning department first. And then to the county commissioners, and then we'll have to wait and see what goes through all that process, and all the permitting process they'd have to go through environmentally as well as construction and all that."
Castor says if the development gets to that phase, the planning department and county commissioners will consider resident input.
The developer, Blue Ridge Companies, Incorporated, did not return repeated calls for comment today.
New Retail
WIDEN THE ROAD FIRST, unlike Mayfaire & all other up & coming developments, Widen the roadway FIRST, then prepare to build. It would be a complete mess to start building w/o having the roadway in place first. Gordon Rd is already a headache, but since you're gonna build regardless, please widen the road. That probably needs to be done w/ or w/o the new retail business.You've got hundreds of homes on Gordon & you need to prepare for even more traffic. ALSO, FIX THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM on Harris & Gordon, after a hard rain its inpassable.