Wilmington could soon welcome a wave of new spaces to unwind, explore, and get active.
From projects set for their grand opening in just a few weeks to ambitious concepts still in the planning stages, several additions could transform the city’s social and recreational landscape.
Here’s a look at five entertainment spaces that could make their mark in the Port City in the near future.
Related coverage: New entertainment venue to open soon at Mayfaire in Wilmington. Here’s what to expect
Dave & Buster’s
Location: 953 Town Center Drive Suite D150, Wilmington.
Set to officially open at Mayfaire Town Center on Monday, May 26, Dave & Buster’s is a restaurant and entertainment venue offering arcade games, a sports bar and food all under one roof.
The Wilmington location will include more than 100 games, including all of the newest games that Dave & Buster’s offers, Morgan Korous, general manager of Dave & Buster’s, previously told the StarNews. Some of the games are even exclusive to Dave & Buster’s, including one developed in partnership with UFC.
The facility also has a $250,000 WOW Wall spanning the entire length of the dining room with the ability to show up to 12 different sporting events at one time. Two social bays with interactive gameplay will also be available for rent by the hour.
In addition, Dave & Buster’s offers award-winning food and drinks, with a menu featuring wings, burgers, pizza, specialty cocktails and more, according to their webpage
Strike
Location: 5601 Oleander Drive, Wilmington.
Across a 6.12-acre section of the Oleander Drive property, developers have proposed plans for a commercial family entertainment center known as Strikes.
With more than 40,000 square feet, the proposed building would have a 29,168-square-foot footprint with a 11,648-square-foot mezzanine.
Site plans outline a 10-lane bowling alley including private lanes, a traditional arcade, shuffleboard, soft darts, a 30-foot LED screen above an open-back bar, a reception area, axe throwing, three private rooms, storage and office space, a kitchen, roll-up doors, a stage, a covered patio, table tennis, outdoor fire pits, trash can pong, corn hole and six outdoor pickleball courts on the first level.
The second level includes a multi-sports simulator, community tables, coin shuffle boards, foosball, arcade games, eight lanes of duckpin bowling, soft seating, three coin-operated pool tables, a gaming space, ice hockey, restrooms, a waitress station and a bar.
In early March, the Wilmington City Council approved a rezoning of the property from CB, Community Business District, to RB(CD), Regional Business Conditional District, allowing the project to move forward in the pipeline.
Related coverage: Future fun could be headed to Wilmington with proposed family entertainment center
Club at Midtown
Location: 4950 Holly Tree Road and 340 Westchester Road, Wilmington.
A redevelopment plan, known as The Club at Midtown, will upgrade the existent Holly Tree Racquet and Swim Club’s amenities and introduce new additions.
The private club currently consists of 10 tennis courts, a swimming pool with a pool house, and a clubhouse with a kitchen and a small shop.
The proposed expansion would convert eight existent tennis courts to 10 outdoor covered pickleball courts, renovate a two-story clubhouse with an upscale restaurant and bar, and build a new indoor pickleball facility, spanning more than 33,000 square-feet. A resort style lap pool, a new pool house with saunas, outdoor seating, expanded parking and a real grass outdoor putting green are also planned as part of the development.
The private facility will also include a Sports Hub, with golf simulators and a game room. As part of the project, pool decking would also be refinished, a restroom facility would be rebuilt, and two of the 10 existent tennis courts would be maintained with the surfaces refinished.
The Wilmington City Council granted a special use permit for the project on Feb. 4, 2025, with a unanimous vote.
Northside Oasis
Visions for a sports and cultural arts complex have been proposed across 20 acres at 1310 McRae Street in Wilmington’s Northside.
Location: 1310 McRae St., Wilmington.
The Northside Oasis of Wilmington nonprofit has proposed conceptual plans for a sports and cultural arts complex, known as the Optimism Oasis, across 20-acres behind the existent Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern North Carolina.
The project plans include a gym and swim sportsplex, a Northside community arts and culture center, a track and field sportsplex, a welcome center, edutainment (or educational entertainment) center, amphitheater and a health and wellness hotel with a rooftop restaurant and event space.
Key features of the development include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a skate park, a 100-meter ninja obstacle course, rooftop tennis and pickleball courts, a Museum of African American Athletic History in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution and more.
In December 2024, Dr. Phillip Brown, Northside Oasis of Wilmington board chair, told the StarNews next steps involved understanding what it would take to gain full access to the property. At that time, founder and Concept Designer Tracy McCullen also said the organization was working to develop a formal concept and pro forma.
“We think this is an opportunity for all,” Brown previously told the StarNews. “It’s a place where nurturing growth can happen and that’s where the foundation should be equity.”
Related coverage: Wilmington sports complex could include hotel, concert venue
Olsen Park Recreation Village
Location: Olsen Farms adjacent to Interstate 40 at Murrayville Road in Wilmington.
Though located outside of Wilmington city limits, a complex anchored by the Wilmington Aquatic Center and ACCESS Inclusive Recreation Center is proposed near the existing Olsen Farm Park — a joint project between the city and New Hanover County.
Known as the Olsen Farm Recreation Village, the 135-acre property could ultimately become home to a hotel, residential housing, walking trails, a concert venue and more. The development is projected to open in 2028.
While Wilmington Aquatic Center development team leader Kathy Pawlowski told the StarNews in December 2024 that site plans were not finalized, she highlighted that the project is a mixed-use development, allowing for both residential and commercial operations, with a significant portion of the property dedicated to open green space.
The Wilmington Aquatic Center webpage highlights a few conceptual features in the project’s pre-development stage, including an indoor and outdoor 50 meter Olympic-size pools, 8-lane recreation pool, therapy pool, dive well and splash pad.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New recreation and entertainment spaces proposed in Wilmington, NC