YO U R C O A S TA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E M AY 2 0 0 2
January 24 - January 30, 2019
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Volume 18 | Issue 4 | 25¢
Blockade Runner to reopen in mid-February NCPressRelease.com Blockade Runner Beach Resort, a historic landmark and oceanfront icon of North Carolina for 55 years, announced it will reopen in time for Valentine’s Weekend. Blockade Runner closed in September to repair substantial damages sustained from Hurricane Florence. “The reopening will be in two major stages,” said Nicolas Montoya, General Manager of Blockade Runner. “February 14 we will reopen the tower building containing the largest block of rooms at the resort. This will be followed by the reopening of the balcony building in March-April.” “Aside from Hurricane Hazel in 1954, Hurricane Florence is the largest storm Wrightsville Beach has had as far as property destruction is concerned,” said Bill Baggett of the Baggett family, owners of Blockade Runner. “On the outside looking in, media reports indicated that Wrightsville Beach fared very well following a direct hit by Florence. However, inside many homes and businesses,
including Blockade Runner, there was water everywhere. “I think a lot of the damage on the island has been underestimated. Inventory will be tight at Wrightsville Beach in 2019. Tourism is a significant part of the North Carolina economy, and I hope we can get all the properties at the beach open as soon as possible. “The hurricane losses at Blockade Runner are in three categories: the damage to our buildings and property, estimated to be five million dollars; content loss, approximately two million; and loss of business during repairs, approximately two million. The total loss will be close to ten million dollars. As you would expect, Blockade Runner was insured,” said Bill Baggett. “The exterior and subflooring of Blockade Runner are concrete and steel,” noted Mary Baggett. “However, many interior walls were plaster and sheetrock. Seventy-five percent of these walls were replaced in the tower building, and all of these walls will be replaced in the balcony building. We lost the entire roof in the balcony building.” “Many repairs will be unnoticeable to our guests. The majority of damages were related
Photo by Aerial Optix
to roofing, walls, utilities inside the walls, and insulation. Elevators will be the last to be refurbished, but everything will come together better than ever as spring progresses,” added Ms. Baggett. Recruited by elected and community leaders
after Hurricane Hazel, Lawrence Lewis Jr. opened Blockade Runner on the former site of Ocean Terrace Hotel in 1964. The Ocean Terrace was damaged by Hazel and subsequently lost to fire, a significant setback for n See BLOCKADE Page 2
New stairs built at West Henderson Street, with Greensboro Street stairs coming soon By Terry Lane Staff Writer
While a storm may have destroyed one Wrightsville Beach street’s access to the sound, it only boosted the resolve and camaraderie of the neighbors, who last weekend came together to complete the rebuilding of the steps at the west end of Henderson Street. “It was truly a community project,” said Henderson street resident Steve Lewis, who helped spearhead the project. “We collected community donations to pay for it. There was a little more difficulty involved in the construction and took a little longer than expected, but the quality is there.” After September’s Hurricane Florence, the stairs leading down the bulkhead at West Henderson Street were damaged, resulting in a tear down by town workers. After numerous residents reached out to the town, the board of aldermen allowed the neighbors to raise the money and rebuild the steps leading to Banks Channel, with the neighbors coming together over the past month to complete the project. A similar project will bring a set of steps to neighboring Greensboro Street. But while the stairs may be complete, the collaboration is just beginning, neighbors said. In discussing the neighbor’s request, Mayor Bill Blair encouraged them to help keep order n See HENDERSON Page 2
Motts Channel reopens after four months of repairs By Terry Lane Staff Writer
Still months out from completing repairs and renovations following Hurricane Florence, fans of Wrightsville Beach market Motts Channel Seafood would come to the store to check if it had reopened, despite obvious signs of construction. So once repair crews had gotten the building repaired well enough to reopen last Saturday, word spread quickly that Motts Channel was back in business, owner Gene Long said. “It was unbelievable the people that would come here the last three months,” Long said. “We had the parking lot barricaded off, we had six and seven construction trucks blocking the whole building and they would still walk up here to see if we had reopened.” Returning customers to the fish market were greeted with a remodeled retail floor, with fresh fish still front and center. The remodel allows more room for retail items, including sauces, sides, produce and apparel. With the redesign, Long said the market would also apply for a license to sell beer and wine that can be consumed off premise. Motts Channel has been closed since Hurricane Florence, which destroyed both docks at the building, and created 30 holes in the roof, each of which contributed to the flooding that damaged the insulation, walls and ceiling. Despite the four-month layoff, several of the Motts Channel employees were able to return, with only three taking other Motts Channel Seafood owners Gene and Alison Long, with employees Branson Best, Krista Johnson, Tom Franz and Wade Kelly. jobs. While where is still work to be done on the building -- neither of the two docks have been built yet -- the owners are in a car accident, was scheduled for September 2018, but was raises scholarship money for New Hanover County students already moving ahead with plans, including rescheduling the postponed after the storm damage was realized. seeking to attend Appalachian State University. Mandie Phillips Memorial Fishing Tournament. The third ediHowever, Motts Channel co-owner Alison Long said that n See MOTTS Page 2 tion of the tournament, named for a former employee killed the tournament would be held April 12-14. The tournament
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