The Carolina Beach Town Council approved a contract with Development Finance Initiative, or DFI, a program of UNC at Chapel Hill’s School of Government, to help the town establish a plan for properties it recently bought in the downtown beachfront district.
The town closed a $12 million deal for nine parcels this fall, after a dispute with a private property owner. Now council and residents need to decide what to do with the property.
DFI Director Marcia Perritt and Associate Director Eric Thomas, who will be the project lead, laid out the 9-month pre-development feasibility assessment, which will include analyzing the parcels, evaluating financing options, and holding public meetings to balance civic priorities like open space with economic objectives like attracting investors and negotiating with developers…