Wilmington Housing Authority greenlights Hillcrest complex demolition and rebuild

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) held a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28, to discuss its master plan for the Hillcrest community.

The complex is located on Dawson Street, between 13th and 16th Street, and was originally built around World War II as temporary housing.

The homes were transformed into permanent residences, and now, years later, the aging units are posing issues for residents and city officials alike.

As time went on, the homes became difficult for the city to maintain. The authority states that ongoing renovation efforts were no longer practical.

WHA has been working on a plan for several years to create a ‘better’ Hillcrest. The authority recently received a $5.2 million grant from the Endowment for the project.

The Executive Director of the Wilmington Housing Authority, Tyrone Garrett, says the funding will help them move forward with the first stages of the project, and they hope to receive additional funding to cover additional associated costs.

“We may have some municipal support for funding at some level. There are going to be other, possibly some other non-profits that may be helping us with some gaps that we may actually have,” explains Garrett. “The idea is we believe that we’re fully funded in terms of LIHTC right now, low-income tax credit from the state.”

The plan outlines around 500 new units to be built on the historic property, with the development being broken into four phases. The first phase is scheduled to break ground summer of 2026.

According to WHA, neighbors will not be displaced during the complex’s remodel and construction.

The new Hillcrest is also said to expand past senior living, creating new multi-family homes and townhomes as well.

Garrett says the majority of the homes will be affordable or workforce housing.

“When we talk about mixed income, we’re going to talk about affordability being from the bottom of the spectrum all the way up to the top, where we’re going to actually, probably, have some home ownership units included,” said Garrett. “Some of the units may be at a market rate level, but for the majority of the units, at least 95%, are going to be at an affordable level for residents and members of the community.”

Garrett also shared WHA’s plans for several other developments, such as Solomon Towers, Jervay Place, and Houston Moore.

WHA will continue to update the community on the housing projects as they progress.