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Fixing a county office building won't come cheap

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The New Hanover County Commissioners will be presented with four options to deal with the downtown County Office building at their next
meeting.

The building on 320 Chestnut Street has been closed for almost two years
because a water main break caused heavy damage to the building.

Commissioners will have a range of options from renovating
to demolishing to the inside of the building. None of the four options are cheap,
ranging from $10 million to almost $14 million.

The cheapest option would be to renovate six floors at an annual cost of
$701,000.

The most expensive option would be to demolish and fully rebuild all
seven floors of the building at a cost of $870,000 per year.

County commissioners will discuss their options Monday at 9:00 a.m.

'Pirates of the Caribbean' floating movie set to dock in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A floating movie set that was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will be docked in Wilmington and available for tours this weekend.

The tall ship HMS Bounty will arrive at Wilmington’s downtown Riverfront Park, near the corner of North Water and Princess streets, on Thursday, May 17 at 9 a.m., according to the Wilmington Harbor Enhancement Trust. The Wilmington Fire Department’s fireboat Atlantic VI is expected to meet the ship at the Memorial Bridge and escort it to the dock.

The HMS Bounty will be open to the public for tours from Friday through Sunday, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. daily. The tours will cost $10 for adults, $5 for children over 7, and will be free for children 7 and under. Souvenirs will be available for purchase.

The 180-foot long replica of the famous 18th century ship was built in the early 1960s as a movie set for Mutiny on the Bounty, featuring Marlon Brando. It has also been used for filming in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

'Iron Man 3' issues first production request in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Iron Man 3 productions have issued their first film request to the City of Wilmington.

Iron Works Production's has requested an application to film at the Cape Fear Club on Chestnut Street on Tuesday May 29 from 5 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Few details are listed in the permit, but the application does say two members of the cast will be there along with 20 extras.

They are requesting Chestnut street between Second and Third Streets be closed between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

Hotel Indigo encroachment approved by council

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Developers of a proposed Hotel Indigo in downtown Wilmington can move forward with their plans. Wilmington City Council members gave them the green light Tuesday night.

Developer Chuck Shoninger and his team ran into a stumbling block over some encroachment issues. Part of the proposed building reached out over public property along Nutt Street.

City Council has to approve any major encroachment concerns. Councilman Kevin O'Grady cast the only opposing vote saying it was free property for the developers.

"This is nothing more than an expansion of the building for economic purposes," O'Grady said.

Shoninger said Tuesday night that he was pleased with council's decision to move forward.

"We're excited and excited to get going on Indigo," said Shoninger.

Shoninger says construction on the new hotel could begin by the end of the year.

City council holds off on vote to accept property tax raise

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – City council heard a budget proposal from financial staff Tuesday night, and it includes an increase in property taxes.

Staff proposed raising property taxes by three cents in order to provide for maintenance and work on city streets and sidewalks.

Council did not vote to accept the budget, it's likely that the budget structure will change in the next coming months.  However, a vote must be made final before July 1, when the fiscal year begins.

Currently, there is nothing in the budget to account for the potential baseball stadium.

Any proposal to add baseball to the budget is expected to come after a feasibility study by the city's baseball management consultant in mid-June.

City leaders think there will be a lot of changes to the budget between now and the final vote.

Suspect turns himself in after fatal weekend shooting

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A suspect in connection to a fatal shooting that took place Saturday night has turned himself in, according to a statement from a spokesperson on behalf of the Wilmington Police Department.

Codey Guerrero, 20, turned himself into police Tuesday after WPD investigators obtained murder warrants for him and another suspect.

Police say the other suspect, Terrell Artez Robinson, 20, is still at large.

David Terrell McPhatter, 22, from Riegelwood, died in Saturday's shooting in the 800 block of Castle Street.

Police responded to the scene the night of McPhatter's death just before 11 p.m. and learned from witnesses that McPhatter was shot after he and another man were fighting. The shooter ran from the area.

CFCC president is a finalist for president position at Edison State College

FLORIDA (WECT) – CFCC President Dr. Eric McKeithan is one of five finalists vying for the presidential position at Edison State College in southwestern Florida, according to several media outlets in Florida.

Candidates were narrowed Tuesday in the second round of interviews with committee members to the top finalists.

McKeithan will visit the campus of Edison State College shortly after Memorial Day for tours and interview with the Board of Trustees June 1, according to news-press.com.

McKeithan will leave CFCC June 30. He had been president of the college since 1994.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.