Hampstead and growth are becoming synonymous. The area has added thousands of new residents in the past five years, and driving down the traffic-laden stretch of U.S. 17 will reveal that ongoing construction is still abundant.
New residential communities, huge commercial projects and government facilities are all on the way.
As all the projects come to fruition over the next few years, they'll collectively change the Hampstead landscape, bringing more residents, adding new businesses and expanding services.
Hampstead is set to get bigger and denser throughout the rest of the decade. Here's a rundown of six development projects we're keeping an eye on right now in Hampstead.
Hawksbill Cove
The Hawksbill Cove development will cast a big profile when completed. The project spans 376 acres and includes over 1,100 new homes -- making it one of the largest residential projects coming to Hampstead. The site is located between Country Club Drive and the Intracoastal Waterway.
While plans have changed several times over the years, the current rendition includes 490 detached single-family homes and 615 attached single-family homes (townhomes), as well as 23,000 square feet of commercial space.
A new master-planned development is coming to the Hampstead area
Wawa
Wawa has been making a push into the Wilmington area recently. The company is targeting the busy intersection of Sloop Point Loop Road and U.S. 17 in Hampstead for another location.
Wawa, known for its coffee and hot food, including signature sandwiches, submitted plans to the county for a new convenience store with 8 gas pumps and 42 parking spaces.
That's not all that's going on at the site. Right next door, Renovation Church is building a new 40,000-square-foot facility.
Popular gas station and convenience store to expand into Hampstead
Hampstead Walmart
Walmart making a move into the Hampstead area could be its own evidence that the area is growing rapidly.
The major chain retailer submitted an application to build a 171,000-square-foot box store off U.S. 17 in Hampstead. The Walmart would include a garden center and be equipped with over 700 parking spaces, plans show.
To top it all off, plans for the site also include six commercial outparcels designated for new retail, sit-down and fast-food restaurants, and coffee shops.
Hampstead Library
Good news for current Hampstead residents: It isn't just more people that are coming, but more services too.
Pender County broke ground on its newest library on May 6, 2026, with construction estimated to be complete in summer 2027. The new library, located on U.S. 17 near the Hoover Road intersection in Hampstead, will be the county's largest and include sections for adults, teenagers and children, as well as meeting rooms and private study rooms. An outdoor courtyard for reading, leisure and programing will be built beside the main structure.
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Piver Tract
Piver Tract is a proposed 355-unit residential development located east of U.S. 17 in Hampstead.
Plans for the development also include a clubhouse with a pool and several community docks for boating, as well as multiple community parks and a walking trail around the wetlands on the property.
The project has been approved by the county's planning board, but it received some major backlash from residents nearby to the proposed site. People protested Piver Tract's approval due to traffic, safety concerns and environmental issues, but the development is still moving forward. Once complete, it will bring even more density to the growing area around Country Club Drive.
Hampstead Bypass
All this growth is a lot for Hampstead's infrastructure to handle, especially when it comes to traffic through U.S. 17. The Hampstead Bypass project is designed to alleviate that growing issue.
The first leg of the bypass, which extends from N.C. 210 to U.S. 17 above Sloop Point Loop Road, is scheduled for completion in summer 2027. The southern section of the bypass will go from N.C. 140 to N.C. 210. This segment recently began construction.
NCDOT expects the bypass to immediately provide traffic relief upon its opening, significantly reducing congestion and travel times.
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at [email protected].