Watch Wilmington Grow

Although much of the country has been in steep decline for more than a year, the Greater Wilmington area continues to move forward and at a pace that should be more sustainable than the white hot growth seen in the early stages of the 21st century. There still will be challenges, but there are opportunities also. 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 Wilmington International Airport, known as ILM, has been renovated, parking has been expanded and the facility is serving more passengers each year, with a new record of over 814,000 for 2008.

Construction has begun on a Convention Center downtown on the riverfront and major hotels are planned near the Convention Center.

Healthcare-wise, the area is making giant strides. The New Hanover County Regional Medical Center continues to expand at a rapid pace, both on the main campus and in outlying areas. On the main campus, the Betty H. Cameron Women’s and Children’s Hospital and a Surgical Pavilion were completed 2008, and the Inpatient Tower will be completely renovated.

Major Healthcare Expansion

The new Atlantic Surgicenter, a $6.6 million, 17,390-square-foot, same-day surgery center opened in Porters Neck in 2008, the result of a partnership between New Hanover Regional Medical Center and a doctor’s group called Wilmington Physicians, ASC. Related healthcare providers are building facilities at an almost dizzying rate.