Here are some of the improvements/initiatives that are on the horizon for Carolina Beach:
-Fairfield Inn by Marriot - Approved by City Council January 2008. 90 room hotel adjacent to the existing Marriot Hotel.
-Hilton Hotel – Russ Maynard Project for 190 rooms approved by City Council 2007. Returning to City Council February 2008 for ~300 person meeting space addition.
-Master Plan Scenario I - Search for master developer for the Boardwalk redevelopment project. Two master developers are already showing interest, this is in its very preliminary stages.
-Trolley Bus tours of Wilmington - In beginning stages of providing bus tours for our island that will aim to loop to South Port, Wilmington and maybe Mayfaire.
-Future restaurant projects being discussed, or in the planning stages include: Blackhorn Beach Club, Harbour Masters (to include transient boat slips), and a 200-person water view and roof top restaurant at the old Barnacles site.
-Local TIF - Use future tax value of property for the two proposed Hotels to fund an infrastructure Bond that would allow the town to implement infrastructure improvement plans now.
-Boardwalk Makeover project - A remedial project to upgrade our boardwalk area by cleaning up its whole appearance. Go to:
http://boardwalkmakeover.org to see full scope of project. Plan is to be completed by May 1st 2008. The makeover is taking place between the two approved Hotel projects.
-Rolling Surf/Kure Beach park - Project creates a town center park/educational/multiuse center for Kure Beach with primarily Grant funds, property is purchased and part of the funds are in place, plans for demolition are immanent. A $4 million dollar project.
-Fort Fisher Aquarium is in the planning stages of building a pier at the Fort Fisher Recreation State Park, it is already funded to include a restaurant and educational facility. A $12 million dollar project.
-Federal Point Marina basin plans to rebuild that aging public marina boat access, plans have been approved and it is moving through to the construction phase.
-Carolina Beach State Park Marina and public boat access - Money has been allocated to fund the design stage of redesigning that whole boat basin so that the marina and boat access and facilities can be rebuilt. A $250 thousand dollar design contract.
-Snow’s Cut Boat Access is in the preliminary stages of designing and expanding that boat access facility, in a joint effort with the Town of Carolina Beach and Army Corps of Engineers.
-Bike Master Plans - Both the Town of Carolina and Kure Beach have applied for NCDOT bike master plan grants to develop a coordinated trail system for our whole island. Grant funding to be chosen & allocated in June 2008. $25 thousand dollar projects each.
-Bike Plan is being worked on to connect all of our island’s 10 parks and reserves with an off road trail almost completely located on Federal and State Park land. This would be designated as part of the East Coast Greenway. See:
http://www.greenway.org for more details for this bike pedestrian path from Maine to Florida. A $2–4 million dollar project.
-The new Town Council of Carolina Beach is spear heading a new imitative: “Open for Business” with the appointment of members to a new Business Ad Hoc Committee to pursue that goal.
-Myrtle Grove Harbor Plan is in the initial stages of development to provide a gateway for our Intracoastal boaters and our boating residents giving them access to our island with a mooring field and transient day slips, along with Myrtle Grove boat access points.
-Carolina Beach Entry beautification Grant project is funded and in the planning stage being coordinated by the Island of Lights women’s group. This will greatly enhance our landscape efforts along Lake Park Drive. A $260 thousand dollar project.
-Our Island’s Chamber of Commerce is also spear heading a new venture along the “Open for Business” theme with a Sustainable Community effort designed to make our island a year around resort and destination!
-One of the powerful elements to all of this is that many of the projects overlap so there is a powerful grass roots synergy underpinning to all these efforts since many people on the island are involved in more than one of these projects.
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Carolina Beach Makes Over its Boardwalk
Glad to see some of those improvements on the agenda! 
