In 1981, the Surf Motel opened on Wrightsville Beach. The 5-month 2.5 million dollar project added 45 rooms to Wrightsville’s rental inventory. However, the project was not without controversy. Each unit in the motel is individually owned, While the developer argued this was for tax breaks for the individual owners. Beach officials said they feared the motel proposal was a back-door effort to establish a new condominium project.
