Popular Wilmington produce market looks to expand with more permanent location
There’s a chance that New Hanover County residents could see a newer, more permanent Biggers Market.
The fresh food market, originally called Port City Produce, already operates at its newest location at 6250 Market St. from mid-March through December and at 6458 Carolina Beach Road from April to October.
The market, which was founded in 2010 and is known for serving Wilmington residents local produce and goods, is looking to expand on 2.67 acres of land at 6208, 6216 and 6218 Carolina Beach Road. Current site plans show the new market location to have one enclosed market with covered porches, two open product areas and one covered platform.
On Thursday, Feb. 22, development consultant Cindee Wolf, along with Biggers Market partners, met with residents who live adjacent to the proposed rezoning to discuss the vision and address concerns.
“We’ve been on Carolina Beach Road for 12 or 13 years now and we’re running out of space, and we’d like a more tailored facility," said Sven Wallin, the market’s founder. "It’s so that we can control the environment and bring a more family environment to that area. It’s hard right now because there’s no yardage, so the parking is very limited. ... What we want to do over here has exponentially more parking. ... It would be landscaped – the whole nine yards.”
While expressing a few concerns regarding noise level, stormwater and traffic, the majority of residents in attendance vocalized their support, including John Moyer – owner of the nearby Za Pie Pizzeria.
Moyer said he'd been talking about his concerns with one of the market's co-owners and found him to be "very receptive."
“I really believe these guys would work with us on things,” Moyer said. “Something is going to [be built] on this property, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. And I would prefer it be these locals that would benefit the area and make it look nice."
More: Plans submitted for 225-unit apartment complex on Carolina Beach Road
In addressing noise concerns, Wolf said the site would include a fence, as well as a 20-foot buffer. The future market is also planned to have 122 parking spaces, but owners made it clear that they do not anticipate the spaces to be completely filled on a daily basis.
Wolf added that all of the stormwater is planned to go under the parking lot. “We’ve already had the soils tested," she said. "It has an excellent infiltration rate and an excellent depth to the seasonal ground water. That’s a real benefit of this site. There wouldn’t be a pond because everything would be under pavement."
In response to concerns regarding day-to-day maintenance, Biggers Market owners clarified that there will be consistent dumpster service, pest control and landscaping.
If plans move along as expected, Biggers Market owners anticipate opening the new shop around summer of 2027.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Biggers Market planning expansion on Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington, NC
