A local mortgage broker and real estate investor hopes to create a 14,000- to 15,000-square-foot office building off Market Street.

Adam Slack, senior vice president of mortgage lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, said if the project gets New Hanover County approvals, it could take two years to build. The Adam Slack Team of CrossCountry Mortgage could occupy about one-fourth of the Class A, two-story office building, Slack said.

He said he has two other potential office tenants lined up to occupy additional space in the structure, which would be located at 106 Oak Ridge Lane on a 2.5-acre site.

A previous plan for the site approved in 2017 included a car care center. The property currently holds a car wash.

To Slack, an office building makes more sense than a car care center for the tract.

"This would be a much better use traffic-wise and everything for that current space," he said. "I think all of the neighbors would probably agree."

Besides being an investment, the new building is much closer to Slack's home than his current office near Wrightsville Beach, which at times takes a more than 30-minute commute to get to.

"I could literally be at that (new office building) in six minutes," Slack said. "It’s a time-saver."

The proposal would have to be approved by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. A required community meeting is scheduled to be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 31, at Ogden Park Picnic Shelter No. 2.