In October 2020, Benchmark was engaged by the Town of Belville, NC to prepare a conceptual development plan for the redevelopment of the Town’s downtown waterfront area. The Town has been actively working with property owners for a number of years to develop the land along the Brunswick River waterfront into a tourism oriented mixed use development.
Benchmark worked with its longtime partner Greenfield Development to first prepare an economic analysis of the area to determine the development demand. Once prepared, Benchmark’s urban designers worked within the constraints posed by both the market as well as the environment and utility infrastructure to create an urban working waterfront that incorporates water dependent uses, such as a marina and an extension of the town’s growing Riverwalk network, while simultaneously addressing areas of environmental concern, major electric transmission infrastructure, and ongoing improvements to major transportation routes that are adjacent to the site. The conceptual plan is being used by the Town as it moves forward with its efforts to secure commitments from property owners, developers, and NCDOT in furtherance of its goal of realizing the redevelopment of this high-visibility site in the Cape Fear region.
