Every generation inherits decisions that will shape its economic future for decades. The replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is one of those decisions.
The debate has too often been framed as a choice between economic growth and historic preservation. That is the wrong question.
The real question is this: Which bridge alternative delivers the transportation improvements our region needs while protecting one of Wilmington’s greatest economic assets?
The answer matters – not just to preservationists, but to every business owner, employer, investor, taxpayer and resident who depends on a strong regional economy.
Historic Wilmington Foundation supports replacing the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. We recognize the need for modern, reliable infrastructure that safely serves our growing region. But infrastructure decisions should be measured not only by how efficiently they move vehicles, but by how they strengthen – or weaken – the communities and economies they serve.
Wilmington’s historic districts are not simply treasured neighborhoods – they are economic infrastructure.
Historic preservation consistently generates measurable economic returns. According to a statistics from 2007-2009 (the most recent available), every $1 invested through historic tax credits generated at least $4 in private-sector investment, and North Carolina’s historic tax credit program leveraged as much as $12.51 in private investment for every $1 of state tax credit issued on income-producing projects.
Rehabilitation projects also create more jobs than new construction. According to the same Preservation North Carolina analysis, every $1 million invested in rehabilitating a historic building creates approximately 41 jobs, including 22 construction jobs and 19 additional jobs throughout the economy, while the same investment in new construction creates significantly fewer jobs.
Historic neighborhoods strengthen property values, attract private investment, support our nationally recognized tourism industry, provide sought-after locations for the film industry and sustain hundreds of locally owned restaurants, retailers, professional offices and service businesses. They create jobs, generate tax revenue and distinguish Wilmington from every other coastal community competing for employers, skilled workers, entrepreneurs, visitors, and investment capital.
As preservation leader Gene Merritt has often said, “Historic preservation is Wilmington’s brand.” That brand has measurable value.
Businesses do not choose communities solely because of highways and bridges. They also evaluate quality of life, workforce recruitment, downtown vitality, and community character.
These are competitive advantages. Companies increasingly locate where talented employees want to live, and employees consistently seek authentic, vibrant places with a strong sense of identity. Wilmington already has that advantage—we should not unnecessarily diminish it.
Heritage tourism is one of those advantages. The most recent local tourism numbers demonstrate the scale of that economy. In 2024, visitors spent nearly $1.14 billion in New Hanover County, setting a new record. Tourism directly employed 7,003 people locally and generated $290.59 million in payroll. Visitor spending also generated approximately $79.34 million in state and local tax revenue. New Hanover County ranked eighth among North Carolina’s 100 counties in visitor spending. Those additional dollars directly support Wilmington’s hotels, restaurants, retailers, museums, tour operators, and small businesses throughout downtown.
Today, the discussion has narrowed to two alternatives that satisfy the transportation mission established by state and federal agencies: the 135-foot fixed-span bridge and Alternative A, the modern lift bridge. According to NCDOT, both alternatives provide essentially the same transportation capacity, are estimated to cost approximately the same to construct and satisfy the required 135-foot navigation clearance. From a transportation perspective, both accomplish the project’s purpose.
Where they differ is in their long-term economic impact.
The lift bridge can largely remain within the existing transportation corridor, minimizing disruption to established neighborhoods, businesses and traffic patterns. The fixed-span alternative requires a much larger footprint extending deeper into Wilmington’s historic districts, permanently altering streets, increasing congestion, reducing accessibility for customers and creating lasting impacts on private investment, tourism and downtown commerce. These are not merely preservation concerns – they are business concerns.
Every successful business asks the same question before making a major investment: If two options accomplish the same objective at roughly the same cost, why choose the one carrying greater long-term risk?
That same discipline should guide this public investment. When taxpayers are investing hundreds of millions of dollars, maximizing long-term economic return should be part of the equation.
Historic preservation is not simply about protecting the past – it is one of North Carolina’s proven economic development strategies. A statewide economic impact analysis found that from 1998 to 2007, historic rehabilitation generated more than $1.4 billion in economic activity, supported approximately 14,100 jobs through multiplication effects, produced $438 million in employee compensation and stimulated roughly $160 million in new economic activity annually. Those were not preservation statistics – they were business statistics.
The economic value of Wilmington’s historic districts is reflected every day in thriving businesses, healthy property values, redevelopment activity, tourism spending and the quality of life that fuels continued investment.
This should never be viewed as preservation versus progress. Preservation has been one of Wilmington’s most successful economic development strategies for generations. It has helped create the downtown that businesses proudly market to customers, employees, investors and visitors.
The best infrastructure projects do more than move traffic. They strengthen communities, encourage private investment, protect public assets and position regions for sustainable prosperity.
Historic Wilmington Foundation believes Alternative A, the lift bridge, provides the strongest balance of transportation performance, fiscal responsibility, economic development and protection of the assets that have helped make Wilmington one of North Carolina’s most desirable places to live, work and invest.
Every successful region protects the assets that make it economically competitive.
Wilmington’s historic districts are one of those assets. They generate investment, create jobs, support tourism, strengthen property values and give our community a competitive advantage that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
When two bridge alternatives meet the same transportation objectives at essentially the same cost, choosing the option that better protects our businesses, neighborhoods, tax base and regional identity is more than good preservation policy.
It is good economic policy. It is good business. And it is the smartest investment we can make in Wilmington’s future.
Carol Bullock is the executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve and protect the architectural, historical and cultural heritage of the Lower Cape Fear region.