What's Coming to Hwy 17 in Carolina Shores & Calabash

If you drive Highway 17 through Carolina Shores or Calabash, you have probably noticed the construction picking up. A new retail development is underway at the corner of Highway 17 and Calabash Road NW, and it is bringing some big changes to this part of Brunswick County.

The anchor of the project is a new Publix grocery store, which will sit at the northwest corner of Calabash Road and Highway 17. Publix signed a lease for the site back in 2023, and the town approved the site plan in 2024. The store itself will run somewhere in the range of 45,000 to 47,000 square feet, and it is expected to open sometime in 2026. Just up the road, a Walmart Supercenter is also under construction, with site work and building activity already underway and an opening also targeted for 2026.

The approved site plan includes room for five commercial lots and two additional retail spaces on either side of the Publix building, plus close to 400 parking spaces. Several more retail spots in the surrounding plaza are still available, which means more businesses will likely be announced as construction continues. Cutty's Pizza, a local favorite from nearby Little River, has already announced plans to relocate into the new development. Residents in the area have also speculated about a Wawa joining the mix, though nothing has been confirmed yet.

Growth like this always raises questions about traffic, and Highway 17 residents have been vocal about it. The approved plans include dedicated left and right turn lanes at the Highway 17, Country Club Road, and Calabash Road NW intersection to help traffic move more smoothly. Some residents still feel Highway 17 itself needs wider lanes to fully handle the added congestion, and that conversation is likely to continue as the stores get closer to opening.

New grocery stores and retail almost always change how a neighborhood feels day to day. For Carolina Shores and Calabash, this development means groceries, dining, and everyday errands will be closer to home instead of requiring a longer drive, and it's a sign of how much this corner of Brunswick County is growing. New retail and grocery anchors tend to bring more services, more jobs, and more demand for housing nearby. If you're exploring homes in this part of Brunswick County, get in touch and I'd be happy to talk through how this development might affect specific neighborhoods you're considering.