Waiting at the light where Eastwood Road meets Military Cutoff, you can now see Center Point finished on the outside. Residents are living in The Sterling apartments. In early October the four retail buildings beside them were handed over to tenants, but only as empty shells. The shops still have to be built out inside, and WilmingtonBiz reported on Oct. 6 that the developer expects the first tenants to open in early spring 2027.
That date matters well beyond one development. Most of the new projects around Mayfaire are now aiming for the same few months. So this holiday season, Mayfaire Town Center is still the only shopping and dining on the corner. Next spring, several new places are scheduled to open close together.
Center Point Has Residents Before It Has Shops
Residents started moving into The Sterling, Center Point's 265-unit apartment building, in mid-September, according to Morgan Bentivegna, development manager at The Beach Company. The Beach Company, based in Charleston, is building Center Point together with Wilmington-based Swain & Associates on an 18-acre site. The site sits across Military Cutoff from Swain & Associates' own office. David Swain told the Business Journal he had his eye on the land for more than a decade before buying it in 2019 for $13 million.
The four retail buildings hold more than 32,000 square feet. As of early October, about 65% of that space had signed leases. Counting letters of intent, nearly 90% was spoken for. That's well ahead of May, when the developer reported about 40% leased. Nearly all the space is committed. For the next several months, tenants will be finishing their interiors.
Who Is Coming to 1541 Eastwood Road
StarNews gives Center Point's address as 1541 Eastwood Road. The tenants announced so far mix local businesses moving into bigger spaces with regional brands that are new to Wilmington.
| Business | What it is | Space leased | Timing given |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burtons Grill & Bar | Scratch-made American food; more than 20 East Coast locations, including three near Charlotte | Just over 6,000 sq ft | "Opening in 2027," per Center Point |
| Nest Interiors + Blended Shoes + Apparel | Two local businesses combined in one store, run by a mother and her daughters | More than 3,600 sq ft | Early spring 2027 for first tenants |
| Self Skin Studio | Wilmington med spa moving into a larger space | 2,589 sq ft | Early spring 2027 for first tenants |
| SWTHZ | Appointment-based wellness studio with infrared saunas and cold plunges | 1,820 sq ft | Early spring 2027 for first tenants |
| Thompson's of Wilmington | New upscale men's clothing store with a custom program | Just over 1,700 sq ft | Early spring 2027 for first tenants |
| Jeff's Bagel Run | Scratch bagel bakery chain | Nearly 1,500 sq ft | Early spring 2027 for first tenants |
Burtons signed the largest lease, and Bentivegna told WilmingtonBiz the chain wanted in before Center Point even broke ground. Jeff's Bagel Run is also planning a second location near Independence Mall.
Al's Burger Shack, the Chapel Hill burger spot, now shows up as "New" on Center Point's directory, though the Oct. 6 tenant list didn't include it. StarNews reported on Aug. 1 that the owners were finishing a deal for a Center Point space. The company already opened in Leland in 2024. In the same report, carried by Cardinal & Pine, co-owner Jason Kesler said, "we'd like to open at the beginning of next year." So Al's is also aiming for early 2027.
A Small Retail Pocket, by Design
Center Point isn't rushing to fill a big retail strip. The first phase stops at four buildings, and Bentivegna told WilmingtonBiz that's intentional:
"Rather than building 100,000 square feet of retail all at once and trying to build it up, we're trying to be really strategic about who the users are and making sure that we've got a strong little pocket here."
Roads and landscaping are now going in on the southern part of the site. The first phase-two building is in design. It will have a 15,000-square-foot footprint, with shops on the ground floor and offices upstairs, and is expected to be finished in 2028. David Swain told the Business Journal that the remaining 8.5 acres could eventually hold a hotel, offices, and more restaurants and shops, depending on demand.
Building in stages is why Center Point can finish its first phase while other plans along the road are still in progress. It's built only what it has tenants for.
The Avenue Is on a Different Schedule
A short drive down Military Cutoff, The Avenue is planned for the land around the 300 block that was once the Hidden Lakes Mobile Home community. Plans include a Westin hotel with a spa and conference space, 500 apartments, shops, restaurants and offices. Two parking structures would add almost 1,200 spaces. Sources disagree on the size of the site. WilmingtonBiz describes 11 acres at 349 Military Cutoff Road. StarNews describes a tract of nearly 45 acres spread across several addresses.
The two most recent public updates came about two months apart. In July, developer Roy Carroll of The Carroll Companies told WilmingtonBiz the project was "progressing, though not as fast as originally hoped." He said the firm was running more soil tests underground and getting ready for another round of city plan review, and planned to start the first phase of the parking deck by the end of the year. On Sept. 4, StarNews wrote that the site had a large pile of soil near construction equipment and no obvious progress. The paper noted the project was cleared for construction on Feb. 8, 2024. For now, Carroll's year-end goal for the parking deck is the next milestone to watch.
Spring 2027 Is When the Corner Fills In
The other projects nearby are also aiming for next year:
- Adair, the 271-unit apartment community on the former Galleria Shopping Center site at 6750 Wrightsville Ave., says "Coming Spring 2027" on its official site.
- Chase Mayfaire, which StarNews describes as the first Chase bank in Wilmington, is planned for 1331 Military Cutoff Road, the former Wild Wing Cafe site. City records show it was cleared for construction on Feb. 18.
- Mayfaire West, BrodyCo's plan for apartments and townhomes on nearly 40 acres between Town Center Drive and Gregory Road, is on hold with no pending applications, according to WilmingtonBiz in June.
If those timelines hold, a new burger spot, a bagel bakery, a full-service restaurant and hundreds of new apartments will all open within one season. That would be the biggest change to the corner's mix of shops and restaurants since Mayfaire Town Center opened.
This Holiday Season Still Runs Through Mayfaire
Until then, the corner's newest places are inside Mayfaire Town Center. In May, Lovesac opened at 6858 Main St. and Flip Flop Shops opened at 917 Town Center Drive. Mayfaire's store directory now lists Pandora at 6825 Main St., next to Ivy & Leo.
Here's what's on Mayfaire's events calendar for the rest of the season. Most of it is at Art in Bloom, 970 Inspiration Drive:
- Nov. 6 to Jan. 10: "Transformation: From Seed to Bloom," Art in Bloom's annual Holiday Show of work by its gallery artists.
- Nov. 6 to 15: A pop-up exhibition of Dr. Seuss art, with a free art talk on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 8, 2 to 5 p.m.: A free artist reception at the gallery.
- Nov. 21 and 22: Beginner stained-glass workshops in the gallery classroom, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
- Mondays, Nov. 30 to Dec. 14: Pet Photos with Santa at the Element by Westin in Mayfaire. Reservations are recommended through the event's booking page.
By the time those Santa photos are wrapped up, the shop interiors across Military Cutoff will have been under construction for about two months. The first openings are still expected in early spring.
If you own a home near Mayfaire, the openings planned for next spring could matter when you decide to sell. The Chris Luther Team follows the Eastwood and Military Cutoff corridor closely and can tell you what it could mean for your home's value. Request Your Free Coastal Home Valuation.
