A former Wilmington movie theater may soon become a housing development

The site of a former Wilmington movie theater, which closed its doors in October 2023 could soon see redevelopment, with plans proposed for an apartment complex.

Spanning 8.58 acres, the 111 Cinema Drive property was once a destination for moviegoers with an AMC Classic 16 theater.

If plans for the proposed housing complex go ahead, the now-vacant theater will be demolished to make way for housing structures.

Who owns the property?

Plan information lists a Massachusetts-based corporation, Spirit Master Funding II LLC, now known as SVCN 2 LLC, as the property owner and developer.

Project applicants are listed as Gavin Milligan and Brad Schuler of Paramounte Engineering, Inc. – a Wilmington-based engineering firm with offices located along Cinema Drive.

What developments have been proposed?

Seven three-story buildings and one four-story building have been proposed for the site.

Across the eight structures, the complex will provide 147 multifamily homes, including 37 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units, 97 four-bedroom units and one model unit. The residential area will total just under 200,000 heated square meters.

The plans also include 10,000 square meters of commercial space in the complex’s largest building. An 8,400-square-foot recreation area, a maintenance building, space for a waste compactor, 438 parking spaces, eight of which are equipped for electric vehicle charging, and 30 bicycle parking spaces are also proposed for the property.

What is the status of the proposal?

The proposed Cinema Drive development, which was submitted in late November of this year, is currently undergoing compliance review, which began in early December, according to the city’s website.

Next, the project will be reviewed by the city’s technical review committee.

The proposed land use is currently zoned for regional business and the proposed land use is mixed-use commercial district permitted under the current zoning with specific conditions.

This article originally appeared on the Wilmington StarNews: A former Wilmington movie theater may soon become a housing development