Lumberton Opens New Boat Launch and Riverside Recreation Area at Old Factory Site

A new boat launch and parking area now stand at 512 Kinlaw Street in Lumberton, where the Scottish Packing factory once operated along the Lumber River.

Working with city staff, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Foundation built the river access point. While the city supplied materials, NCWRC handled construction tasks and permits. Power lines above the launch site were moved by Duke Energy crews.

"They're wrapping up striping, installing the wheel stops, doing some fine grading around the parking lot, adding some topsoil here and there," Deputy City Manager Brandon Love said, according to The Robesonian. "Just getting it ready for the public."

Plans call for transforming the old packing plant into an education hub with a pavilion. Two grants will fund the design phase. $25,000 from Duke Energy Foundation and $30,000 from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

The site's location in a floodway limited rebuilding options after Hurricane Matthew struck in 2016. "We wouldn't allow anything to be built in a floodway, new construction," Love said to The Robesonian. "Things that floodway properties can be used for are recreation: baseball fields, softball fields, soccer fields, parking lots."

NC State's Coastal Dynamics Lab provided planning support. As part of the Lumberton Loop plan, the city aims to turn other flood-prone spots into wetlands, streams, and walking paths.

While the boat ramp has not had an official grand opening, many locals are already putting the facility to good use.