Nearly $38 million in state grants could help fund new water and wastewater infrastructure in parts of northern New Hanover County and at the county’s Blue Clay Business Park.
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will consider resolutions accepting $29.1 million in state grant funding for the county’s Last Frontier infrastructure project and $8.8 million for infrastructure at its Blue Clay Business Park at its regular meeting on Monday.
The board will also consider related amendments to the county’s budget for each project and, in a separate item, consider awarding construction contracts for two new phases of Last Frontier infrastructure.
Blue Clay Business Park is a 120-acre business park under development by New Hanover County. In recent years, the county has worked to install needed water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and secure tenants. Initial tenants include local door and trim supplier Coastal Millwork Supply Co. and Southern California-based stone importer and distributor Francini Inc.
In partnership with Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA), New Hanover County also plans to install 8 miles of new water mains and 10 miles of wastewater mains as part of its Last Frontier Project, which aims to bring new water and sewer infrastructure to the northern part of the county to accommodate increasing growth and development.
Adopted by the state legislature in 2023, the N.C. 2023 Appropriations Act allocates $2 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure projects with directed grants for 201 local governments, including $45 million allocated to New Hanover County.
Of that, $15 million was designated for water and wastewater infrastructure related to Blue Clay Business Park while the remaining $30 million in funds weren’t specifically designated.
In March, county staff submitted requests to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), the entity administering the grants, to request funding support for Blue Clay Business Park and the Last Frontier project. Two months later, NCDEQ notified the county that the requests had been approved, resulting in the $29.1 million Last Frontier grant and the $8.8 million in funding for Blue Clay Business Park.
According to agenda documents, the Last Frontier infrastructure has a total cost of $29.5 million while the business park's infrastructure will cost an estimated $9.1 million with loan proceeds filling funding gaps.
Commissioners will also consider budget amendments that reduce the loan proceeds allocated to each project. According to agenda documents, the board will consider reallocating nearly $3.3 million in loan proceeds formerly budgeted for the Blue Clay Business Park to museum exhibits for Project Grace.
The board will also consider construction contracts for two infrastructure Last Frontier projects, including a $6.6 million contract with Carolina Civilworks Inc. for the installation of water infrastructure along North College Road and Blue Clay Road and a $8.7 million contract with R.H. Moore Co. Inc. for water and wastewater infrastructure along Holly Shelter Road.
Work on these infrastructure segments is expected to wrap up in the first quarter of 2026. New Hanover County awarded construction contracts for the first two segments of the Last Frontier project last summer. Those segments are set to be completed by the end of this year.
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meets at 4 p.m. on Monday at the New Hanover County Historic Courthouse at 24 N. Third St. in Wilmington.
