Hamm, owner of Hamm Hearing Aid Center at 1608 Wellington Ave., envisions a new center for his business property he bought Thursday from The Pointe’s developers for $500,000. Hamm’s site is at 2280 Blockbuster Road at The Pointe, a South 17th Street and Independence Boulevard entertainment and dining complex anchored by The Pointe 14 movie theater.
Hamm’s 2,200-square-foot hearing aid facility will replace his Wellington Avenue office, which is set to be demolished to make room for a Wawa gas station and convenience store complex. The company developing the Wawa purchased the property from Hamm for $1.25 million on July 26, according to a New Hanover County deed.
From that sale, “we’re reinvesting the proceeds to provide better resources for our hearing aid patients,” Hamm said Thursday. “Over the past 22 years I’ve helped well over 10,000 people with their hearing and the goal is to help even more people moving forward.”
The new hearing aid center is just the first phase of the development, he said. Hamm also wants to build a fine art gallery connected to a sculpture garden, as well as space for a future office tenant.
“I’m looking forward to creating a space that the community can enjoy as well,” said Hamm, who is a partner in the N.C. Gallery of Fine Art (NCGFA).
According to Hamm, the NCGFA is known for offering The Face of Lincoln, an Abraham Lincoln sculpture by Robert Merrell Gage. An American sculptor, Gage based the piece on a mask of Lincoln’s actual face.
Hamm said the gallery portion of his development would sell 19th century and early 20th century paintings and sculptures.
For the first phase of his project, Hamm is currently working through the city’s and New Hanover County’s permitting steps. The site plans for Hamm’s endeavor are under review by the city of Wilmington, but has not yet been scheduled for a Technical Review Committee meeting, according to the city’s project tracking website.
His current center will stay open in the meantime and during building.
Hamm said, “I’d love to begin construction mid-September and ultimately be in my new location sometime in the early second quarter of next year.”
