WALLACE — Downtown Wallace is in the process of a reinvention to accommodate its current and future citizens, according to a town official.
Wallace’s 2024 population of over 3,500 residents is going to expand in the years ahead. The area is projected to have a 50% increase in population once 1,000 homes are built, which will bring in about 2,000 more people to the town. Three hundred homes are set to be built as Eastwood Acres and Crossroads subdivisions.
“It’s going to probably take four to five years to get all of that built out and homes occupied,” said Wallace Town Manager Rob Taylor Jr. in an interview with The Duplin Times. Residential and commercial construction is still in its earliest stages, Taylor said.
“The folks before us had a lot of forethought in making sure that the town was in a position to grow,” he said. “We acquired our wastewater treatment plant which is a 5 million-gallon-a-day facility. We have plenty of water capacity.
“Some communities struggle with both of those two utilities whereas we’re in pretty good shape with plenty of room to grow,” said Taylor.
Some residents spoke out during April’s town hall meeting, voicing concerns about accessible buildings in the area. Due to an infrastructure that is lacking in modern amenities, there is an interest in creating spaces that are accessible to people with handicaps.
“Our older facilities — because we’re an older town — when they were originally built, they weren’t built with those considerations for ADA,” Taylor said. There is an interest in apartments with first-floor rooms that are accessible, since elevators would be an expensive addition to some of the older buildings in town, he said.
The town board is taking on incremental steps toward making the community more accessible. The current focus is on outdoor facilities.
“That is something we are slowly working on and the projects we’ve got at Clement Park I think are the biggest steps we’ll be making,” Taylor said. “The new community center will be all ADA compliant. The inclusive playground is something of huge importance to us — having that playground so that all kids can play, no matter what. That will be the first one in Duplin County,” he said.
“That’s exciting for us. Those are our top priorities. We’re slowly working through other facilities and trying to get them up to speed where they need to be,” he said.
Taylor is drafting ordinances for the May meeting to consider more accessibility in residences around the central business district since the current ordinance does not allow first-floor apartments.
The community has expressed interest in putting more money into parks. Farrior Park had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 18, opening the playground at Boney Mill Pond.
“Every new dollar that comes in is not just one new dollar. A lot of it is already used up for other public services. There will be some benefit where we’ll be able to control our tax rate,” said Taylor. The hopes are to increase the tax base and increase the sales tax revenue that the town brings in.
“Growth leads to more growth so that’s going to help local businesses. More residents are going to need more restaurants to eat at, more places to get their cars fixed,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great for our downtown businesses. Other opportunities for new businesses to come to town. Overall, I think it’ll be a great opportunity. The big thing is just making sure we control the growth and it’s the right type of growth.”
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