Home Care In Leland, NC

A popular chain restaurant is eyeing Leland for its first Brunswick County location.

Plans submitted to the town's technical review committee indicate Chipotle Mexican Grill is eyeing a lot nearby the Lowes Foods in Brunswick Forest for its newest location.

As of September 2023, Chipotle had over 3,300 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, according to the company's website. There are 80 Chipotle locations in North Carolina, including two in Wilmington -- near Oleander Drive and in Mayfaire.

Chipotle joins a slew of chain restaurants that have shown interest in or opened locations in Leland, including brunch spot Eggs Up Grill and the recently opened Cook Out.

Leland in 2024:From duplexes to 'spillover' business, here are development trends to watch

Barnes Sutton, director of economic and community development in Leland, said much of the town's restaurant development has been established, chain restaurants building locations in Leland. The young town, he said, doesn't have much second-generation space, and is thus attracting established businesses that can afford the upfront capital costs associated with building a new facility or adjusting a space to meet their needs.

Chipotle's interest in the town is yet another example of that trend.

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Plans for the project are currently being considered by the town's technical review committee. Submitted plans indicate the chain is considering a location at a 1.13-acre lot next door to the Lowes Foods grocery store in Brunswick Forest.

Preliminary plans indicate the restaurant would have indoor seating and a drive-thru lane for online order pickup.

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected] or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.

Jamey Cross

A North Carolina-based private school is eyeing a popular Leland community for its next school.

Thales Academy is a network of private, non-sectarian community schools primarily located in North Carolina, including Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Wake Forest. The only campuses located outside North Carolina are in Franklin, Tennessee and Glen Allen, Virginia.

Thales Academy has submitted plans to the town of Leland to add a school nearby Brunswick Forest. Here’s what we know.

A glimpse at the campus

According to site plans submitted to the town, the school’s Leland campus would be located along Hewett-Burton Road and the to-be-constructed Brunswick Village Boulevard.

The campus looks to host an elementary school building, a combined junior high and high school building, a gymnasium building and a playground. Plans also outline plenty of parking around the three buildings and playground.

Plans indicate the entrance to the campus would be located off Brunswick Village Boulevard.

What is Thales Academy?

According to its website, Thales Academy was founded in 2007 and currently serves more than 6,100 students across its 13 campuses. With few exceptions, many of the campuses serve students from pre-K to eighth grade. Three of its locations also enroll high school students: Raleigh, Apex and Cary.

According to the submitted site plans, Thales’ mission is “to provide an excellent and affordable education for students in Pre-K to 12^th grades through the use of Direct Instruction and a Classical Curriculum that embodies traditional American values.”

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

The submitted plans are currently being reviewed by the town’s technical review committee and will be considered by the planning board before potentially moving forward.

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected] or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.

It's little surprise that the new year is expected to bring continued growth, construction and development in Brunswick County’s largest municipality.

The town of Leland, like much of Brunswick County, has seen transformative development and population growth over the past several years. Officials with the town say that is only expected to continue in 2024.

U.S. Census Bureau data shows Leland’s population increased nearly 70% from 2010 to 2020 when nearly 23,000 people were recorded as living within the town. By 2021, the town’s population was estimated at nearly 26,000.

Barnes Sutton, director of economic and community development in Leland, said the town expects new residents to continue to flock to the town in 2024, and that residential and commercial development will continue to meet the demand of those new residents.

Continued construction and a shift toward rentals

As of early December 2023, Sutton said, the town has nearly doubled the number of new residential permits it saw in 2022 and 2021.

The town approved around 3,300 residential permits in 2021 and just over 3,000 in 2022. To date in 2023, he said, that total is over 6,400.

A large percentage of those permits were attributed to the multi-family projects under construction in the Westgate area this year, Sutton said.

Much of the residential development the town has seen this year, he said, was planned and approved in past years but just moved into the construction phase this year. Likewise, he said, many of the developments approved in 2023 likely will begin construction in 2024.

“We have a lot of existing projects that will be new housing stock going onto the market,” he said. “But based on everything we’ve seen, that trend does not slow down at all.”

Leland once saw largely single-family home development, with an emphasis on multi-family development occurring in more recent years. Sutton predicts the town will see multi-family development continue, and it could see an increase in townhomes and duplex-style residences.

With interest rates, mortgage rates and the costs associated with owning a home, Sutton thinks the town could see a continued trend in rentals – apartments, townhomes, duplexes or even build-for-rent dingle family detached homes.

The demand for rental properties, he said, remains high in Leland. Unlike nearby Wilmington, however, which has existing housing and rental stock, many of the residences being built in Leland are built for or by their first occupants. The housing stock in Leland, Sutton said, is younger because the town is younger.

“The demand is still here, the growth is still happening,” he said. “I don’t think that will change. We might just see the different forms take place.”

Leland continues to attract chain restaurants, stores

When it comes to general retail and commercial development, Sutton said the town continues to attract “bigger names” – national chains, such as Lowe’s Home Improvement and 7-Eleven which recently opened locations along the U.S. 17 corridor in Leland.

Recently, the town has also seen some “spillover” from Wilmington, with Wilmington restaurants opening locations in the Brunswick town.

While residents have expressed a desire for more small businesses and local restaurants as opposed to the chains, Sutton said that will take time. Leland was founded in 1989, and much of the young town’s development is brand new. Franchises, he said, can afford the upfront capital costs associated with building a new facility or adjusting a space to meet their needs.

Restaurateurs often need second generation space, which is hard to find in Leland.

While development along the U.S. 17 corridor is expected to continue, Sutton added that Leland’s Gateway District could also see some growth in 2024. The area has already seen the arrival of some new businesses, such as Leland Brewing Company and Brunswick Beer Xchange, which Sutton said is expected to continue, as well as the construction of more residences.

Town projects and industry

The new year will also bring big strides for town services and projects in Leland, such as the renovation for Founders Park, which will bring an amphitheater and splash pad to northern Brunswick County.

“That’ll be a really important piece to add – not just to the Gateway District, but Leland as a whole – to have a facility that can meet that need for open space and public recreation,” Sutton said.

More:These Leland roads will soon see improvements. Here's where and what to expect.

Sutton added the town expects to see its innovation park – a 630-acre campus housing industry-leading companies – flourish in 2024. The space is positioned in close proximity to Wilmington’s airport and port, U.S. 74/76 and I-140, and is supported by the town and Brunswick County Business & Industry Development (BBID).

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Next year, Sutton said, the town is looking at ways to bring town and county leaders together with researchers and leaders in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries to discuss ways the town can provide a workforce and space for those industries.

It’s a cycle: expanding the town’s labor force will lead to higher-paying jobs, which will bring even more commercial and retail services current residents say they want.

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected] or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.

Leland residents have been anticipating the opening of the new Lowe's Home Improvement store, and the company has finally announced a date for the store's grand opening.

Here's what we know.

When will it open?

Where is it located?

The store is located at 3716 Gateway Blvd. in Leland. This is in the busy Leland Town Center shopping center, and the store is behind Chick-fil-A and Dunkin Donuts.

According to the master site plan for the development, Leland Town Center could grow even more in the future. Plans indicate more than 50 acres of land to the east of Lowe’s Home Improvement – along Tradeway Drive and Gateway Boulevard – could someday hold two stand-alone restaurant buildings, a 30,000-square-foot gym, a building with seven retail spaces and a daycare building.

How many jobs will it create?

According to a news release, Lowe's of Leland will create 165 new jobs, with the majority of those being full-time positions.

More:Sauna workouts, Greek food and more heading to rapidly growing Leland shopping center

What will the store offer?

The 113,860-square-foot store will include a 27,720-square-foot garden center, and according to a news release, it will be the first location in North Carolina to open with Lowe’s Rental, a one-stop shop for all the tools and equipment Pros and DIY customers need to complete home improvement projects. Rentals will include power tools, carpet cleaners, drain cleaners, outdoor power equipment, concrete breakers, and vehicles, such as dump trailers, excavators, aerial lifts and other construction equipment.

Lowe's in Brunswick

It'll be the third location of the home improvement chain in Brunswick County, joining ones in Southport and Shallotte.

There are also three locations in New Hanover County and two in Pender County (Hampstead and Surf City).

Lowe's Home Improvement also operates a distribution center in International Logistics Park, located on the border between Brunswick and Columbus counties.

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

The town of Leland has purchased a piece of waterfront property along N.C. 133 that was eyed by developers earlier this year, but it is unclear what the town intends to do with the land.

In a Wednesday announcement, the town confirmed it had purchased the 28.5-acre property at 964 River Road (N.C. 133).

In the spring, Fayetteville-based developer Caviness & Cates shared plans to build a 10-building, 306-unit luxury apartment complex on the property. Those plans were met with backlash from neighboring Leland and Belville residents who were largely concerned with the potential for added traffic on already busy N.C. 133.

Previous reporting:Neighbors on busy Brunswick road continue fight against 'frivolous housing'

“After hearing and considering the concerns expressed by many citizens about the stresses of rapid growth along the N.C. 133 corridor, the Town Council has taken the opportunity to obtain this property, which includes one of the last live oak ridges in the area that abuts the Brunswick River,” the announcement said.

Jessica Jewell, communications manager for the town, said the property was purchased for $5.5 million with budgeted funds for property acquisition. Jewell said the sale closed on Nov. 9.

The land is presently located in unincorporated Brunswick County. State law currently prevents the town of Leland from annexing property into its corporate limits, and it is unclear when that law may be overturned. The town said it would seek public input when determining the “best use for the site.”

The Brunswick Preservation Society, a non-profit organization working to voice community concerns in Brunswick County, said the purchase provides an opportunity to encourage the town to “prioritize public good over unchecked development.”

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

“We envision a future where this space becomes a community treasure – perhaps a serene waterfront park, reflecting our commitment to preserving our beautiful landscape and fostering a sense of shared community,” the society said in a Wednesday statement regarding the purchase. “The society is prepared to lead this dialogue, urging Leland to make a decision that aligns with the long-term interests and welfare of our entire community.”

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected] or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.

In May 2024, franchise partners Brandon and Jennifer Padilla will open a third location of Eggs Up Grill – this time in Leland.

With successful restaurants in Shallotte and Southport, the new spot will bring the “aromas of freshly brewed coffee, savory bacon and hand-cracked, farm-fresh eggs and juicy burgers on the griddle” to a new customer base.

“Eggs Up Grill is home to the whole neighborhood and has been serving smiles for more than 25 years,” said spokesperson Cecily Sorensen.

Along with Brandon’s brother, Jason, the family business offers service from friendly, attentive team members who will make you feel right at home.

“Eggs Up Grill serves its full menu daily from open to close with dine-in, online ordering, takeout, catering and delivery options available. Menu categories span breakfast, brunch and lunch including classic dishes like omelets, benedicts, specialty pancakes, waffles and French toast, juicy burgers, sandwiches and melts hot off the grill."

There are currently 11 Eggs Up Grill restaurants open in North Carolina, with more than a dozen more restaurants in development. In addition to the Tar Heel State, Eggs Up Grill restaurants are in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and will soon expand into Texas, Mississippi and Ohio.

The restaurant offers a unique experience for guests and franchise partners alike.

The new online ordering option for catering makes serving large parties a breeze with food options including classic breakfast buffets, biscuit samplers, breakfast burrito boxes as well as family-style home fry platters and shrimp and grits.

“Crowd favorites include The Classic, The Founder's Hash, the Brunch Burger, mimosas, as well as our unique seasonal specials,” according to Sorensen.

“The model is successful because of our simple operations and strong financial performance, as well as the work-life balance we offer, only operating from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ranked as the No. 1 breakfast franchise by Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 three years in a row, Eggs Up Grill is experiencing record growth.”

The Leland Eggs Up Grill will be located at 3572 Leland Town Center Drive in the Leland Town Center with room for 116 guests and almost 3,300 square feet of space.

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at [email protected].

Similar Stories

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - Town leaders in Leland heard more about the potential economic impact of building a baseball stadium and then heard from neighbors, both for and against the project.

“We don’t have a downtown, and frankly, we’re not [going to] get a downtown unless we make one,” Councilwoman Veronica Carter said.

READ MORE: Study completed on potential impacts of baseball stadium development in Leland

Along with a baseball stadium, the proposal includes areas for commercial developments, like hotels and restaurants.

The 1,400-acre property near Brunswick Forest is not within town limits, so if Leland wants to move forward with the baseball stadium or any development there, they will have to annex the land.

But the eye-opening $105 million cost raised some questions and concerns for town leaders.

“If this were moved to say the US-17 frontage, would it both accomplish moving it away from existing neighborhoods and reduce construction costs?” Councilman Bill McHugh asked staff.

Carter says the current price tag isn’t even in the same ballpark as the initial proposal.

“I think we initially when the county was still our partner in this, wanted to get kind of a ballpark figure of what might be expected of us. And everyone should know, it was nowhere near $105 million. So, we probably would have stopped right then, it was closer to about a 10th of that,” Carter said. “It’s frustrating to me, I travel, representing the town places, and people will say, ‘Well, what’s there to do and what’s Leland known for?’ And, you know, being close to Wilmington, being across the river from Wilmington doesn’t seem to be the right answer.”

But Carter says the cost doesn’t make this proposal a strikeout.

“You know, I’d like something a little more to be able to point to, and I don’t know if it’s a baseball stadium or something else, but I think this is the right steps that we need to be taking in our critical thinking analysis and problem-solving saying, ‘Okay, someone’s brought this to the table. Let’s not suddenly dismiss it out of hand.’”

The cost for just the baseball stadium portion of the project is $105 million. The total expected cost for the entire Jackey’s Creek development would be around $2.39 billion.

Town leaders made it clear that Leland would not be solely responsible for footing the bill if they moved forward with this project. Part of the next steps in this process is to figure out how this project can be paid for.

More than a dozen neighbors voiced their concerns with the baseball stadium, such as traffic, the tax increases to pay for it and noise and light pollution that would come from the stadium.

“It’s ludicrous! This is the most ridiculous, preposterous deal I’ve ever looked at,” Chuck Whitlock said. “Do you think people are going to come here from communities all over the state to come to a baseball game with an independent team? Not in a million years? Do you think it’s going to fill the hotel it’s going to open up a four-star hotel. No.”

“My end of this is that we should not be building any stadium that takes taxpayer dollars to go towards it,” Rhonda Florian said. “Why are we going to add more traffic, and noise pollution and destroy the quality of life? There are no quality benefits to this project, only quality deficits. We ask you to represent us.”

“We don’t have the right to have a stadium here. If we can create something like Mayfaire that will be more beneficial,” Joseph Sullivan said.

Only one person spoke in favor of the project, saying this is a great opportunity to make Leland more than just a town that people pass by.

“This an opportunity that is bar none the best thing that Leland could ever have happened to them. As far as building, and doing things for this community. These opportunities do not come around often,” Stephen Mintz said. “For the majority of my life, Leland has just been kind of a pit stop, something you drive through to get to the next place, you know, nothing really here to see like the gentleman just said, but in my opinion the baseball stadium provides our community the opportunity to be a destination. The stadium presents us with opportunities to shape Leland’s future instead of sitting back and watching neighborhood communities. I would encourage everyone to consider the effects of this stadium.”

This meeting was for town staff to present their findings from the economic feasibility study. The Town Council did not take any action.

Copyright 2023 WECT. All rights reserved.

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - Members of the Leland Town Council are set to hear the results of a study on the economic impacts of a proposed baseball stadium and entertainment development at a meeting on Thursday, Oct. 19.

Feb. 2023: New details on potential minor league baseball in Leland; residents react

The Town of Leland hired consulting firm Baker Tilly to conduct the study using plans provided by the town and REV Entertainment. Known as the Jackeys Creek Development, it would be located on over 1,400 acres of greenfield along U.S. 17 near Brunswick Forest. A presentation from REV Entertainment pictured a 6,000-person stadium, restaurants, hotels and more.

According to a memo prepared for the Oct. 19 meeting, Baker Tilly found that Jackeys Creek could provide over $182 million in property tax revenue with an approximate 30-year project period. The memo says the estimated operating revenues generated by the stadium over 10 years to be about $135 million, and the additional sales tax for the adjacent development is projected to be $175 million over the 30-year project period.

The memo places the preliminary cost estimates at $59 million for the stadium and $46 million for the surrounding infrastructure, which includes site preparation, infrastructure and on-site utilities. This brings the total cost to an estimated $105.6 million.

Baker Tilly analyzed the economic impacts as well; the firm found that over $5.1 billion of economic output and wages/salaries would be made during the construction of the developments.

Beyond the construction phase, the development is expected to create 319 permanent jobs, including the people directly employed by the facilities, the people providing the items needed by the facilities’ direct employees, and the jobs added by the additional spending brought in by the new employees.

The memo outlines the next steps as figuring out how to finance the project, evaluating the impact of the development on the town’s services and further defining the project’s quality of life benefits, among others.

The full meeting agenda is available on the town’s website, and you can read the memo below.

"Jackeys Creek Development Feasibility Analysis and Economic Impact Assessment" by Jamie Boulet on Scribd

Copyright 2023 WECT. All rights reserved.

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - Leland’s town council will hear an update Thursday on a proposal to bring a 6,000-seat baseball stadium and surrounding dining and entertainment development to the Brunswick County town.

The town recently received the results of an economic feasibility study that shows the cost of the project will be approximately $105 million.

“That’s the total cost for the stadium facility and associated infrastructure,” said Leland Economic and Community Development Director Barnes Sutton. “So, not to say that that would all be on the town, but that’s what we know the cost would be that could be spread out to multiple parties.”

The town has been in talks with a company called REV Entertainment to possibly build the complex on 1,400 acres of land along Highway 17 near the Brunswick Forest neighborhood.

The town voted to spend $30,000 on the feasibility study in February. Before the study could be completed, however, Brunswick County decided to pull out of the current proposal, expecting the price to be more than $100 million.

With the study now complete, Sutton says the revenue generated from the project, coupled with the potential for new jobs, would outweigh the cost of construction and maintenance.

“Do the benefits outweigh the costs? The report showed generally positive for that, that the benefits do far exceed the costs of those,” said Sutton. “While in the short term those benefits are more slow to be received, whereas in the long run, the property tax and the sales tax far exceed what that cost of construction would be that $105 [million].”

According to a memo prepared for Thursday’s meeting, the accounting firm hired to conduct the study found that the project could provide over $182 million in property tax revenue with an approximate 30-year project period. The memo says the estimated operating revenues generated by the stadium over 10 years to be about $135 million, and the additional sales tax for the adjacent development is projected to be $175 million over the 30-year project period.

What may seem like a home-run deal for some is more of a strikeout for neighbors like Jay Seville.

“I think most people want something there that’s exciting and gives us an option, but we don’t want to pay for it,” Seville said.

While others have supported the idea of a new ballpark, Seville says before the town plays ball, taxpayer money should go towards infrastructure first.

“We need, probably, in this area, some new schools to be built, some roads to be widened. There are needs with our tax dollars already on the table,” Seville said.

According to town documents, next steps for the project include identifying and quantifying available financing tools, evaluating the availability of statutorily available revenue tools, evaluating impact on town services, developing innovative approaches for the early years of the project, further defining quality of life benefits of the project, and engaging in a public-private partnership.

Copyright 2023 WECT. All rights reserved.