We Can Watch Wilmington Grow

Five year C.D.s were paying 13.2 percent, unemployment was 10.9 percent, retail sales had just topped $1 billion for the first time and the population in New Hanover County was about 109,000, having risen 25 percent in the decade between 1970 and 1980. Of the registered voters, 33,486 were Democrats and 11,939 were Republicans. 1983 certainly was a different time.

$123 Million For Tourism

Tourism was strong in 1983, and at $123 million, was the county’s largest industry. With construction spending at only $23 million in 1983, the massive boom of the last few years was not even a twinkle in the developers’ eyes yet.

These were the days before Interstate I-40 finally connected Wilmington with the rest of the world, so to speak, in 1990. Roads into the city were generally two-lane and slow, which in many ways restricted the growth of the area.

Important Connection

With the completion of I-40, Wilmington also gained direct access to I-95. This major leap forward in transportation capability, especially for trucks, contributed to major development of the Port of Wilmington. Ease of access to Wilmington also was a major factor in a construction boom fueled by strong population growth, a burgeoning of tourism and a significant influx of retirees.

In 1983, the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce announced that ”The Wilmington-New Hanover County SMSA is North Carolina’s fastest growing retail market and the twelfth fastest growing market in the United States.” (SMSA is an acronym for Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, which were first defined by the Office of Management and Budget in 1981.)

And all of this was pretty much before Hollywood discovered Wilmington, established a major film studio here and started making movies in 1983.

Opportunities Abound

Now, as the Greater Wilmington Area moves forward in the early stages of the 21st century, it faces many challenges and opportunities. Thankfully the opportunities and resulting rewards are greatly outnumbering the challenges.

In most departments, we’ve been taking care of the store as we grow. For example, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department has a new headquarters and state-of-the-art county jail. The Wilmington Police Department has a new headquarters downtown and is developing a satellite facility on the southeast side of town.

Record Airport Traffic At ILM

The airport has been renovated, parking has been expanded and the facility is serving more passengers each year, with a new record of over 800,000 for 2007. Construction has begun on a Convention Center downtown on the riverfront and a major hotel is planned adjacent to the Convention Center.