Riverlights: Wilmington’s Waterfront Master-Planned Community

Situated along three miles of the Cape Fear River is the 1400-acre master-planned community of Riverlights.

Just six years into a 10-year project, Riverlights includes single and multi-family home sites; a humming commercial village; a great variety of parks and an expansive 38-acre freshwater lake; a Lakehouse for community gatherings, an outdoor pool and workout facilities; and a dock for crabbing, fishing or setting out on one’s kayak. And that’s just the amenities available now; plenty more are to come.

Already home to some 950+ families, Riverlights welcomes forever-home and second-home seekers, empty nesters and retirees, and young couples and families just getting started. Indeed, as workplace demands shift to a work-from-anywhere dynamic, many see Riverlights as a destination where the long-sought-after work/life balance is easily achieved.

Especially with plenty of green space to enjoy sun, shade, and river views; a central village with shops, restaurants, and pubs to connect with neighbors and friends; and walking paths to connect to the all-of-it. That’s the delight of a master-planned community — it brings everything home.

And “everything” will soon include Riverlights’ newest commercial center, 7Bridge, part of a larger mixed-use development that anchors the southern entrance to Riverlights. 7Bridge will be an upscale retail village that caters to daily errands and service needs, all accessible via bike trails and walking paths. The first businesses will open between late 2023 and mid-2024.

Surrounding 7Bridge are a variety of residential projects, including Argento, a luxury apartment community, and The Cottages at Riverlights, Wilmington’s first single-family-for-rent neighborhood. Argento will open in 2024; the Cottages are already pre-leasing.

Riverlights is also growing its residential neighborhoods, and introducing its new Model Row in the spring of 2023. Featuring a variety of inspired home plans, the new section will offer diverse options and a range of prices and sizes: townhomes, duplexes, single-family homes, and custom homes among them. Plus, a dog park for furry friends and a playground for the little ones.

It’s little wonder Riverlights is such a draw. There’s a palpable sense of people building community. It’s a social, friendly, easy-going, “We love it here!” kind of place. And, there are plenty of events scheduled throughout the year to see for yourself. Periodic open-air markets and popular family-friendly concerts in Riverlights’ Marina Village complement the sip-and-shop vibe of surrounding merchants. Stop by around dusk and you’ll catch what may be Riverlight’s greatest asset: the perfect place to enjoy a stunning waterfront sunset.