Wilson is fortunate to have the largest manufacturing base in Eastern North Carolina, with five major life-science manufacturing facilities and many other diversified industries. City leaders have always invested heavily in infrastructure to serve industry with world-class amenities. The City supplies electric, natural gas, water, sewer and broadband utilities. Wilson is an employment center for many surrounding counties, with a net in-migration workforce of approximately 3,500 daily.

Wilson in the News 

Triangle Business Journal, March 15, 2024

For Eastern NC city, baseball stadium spurs economic development 

Econ Focus, First Quarter 2023

Public Transit Rides Out the Pandemic Storm 

ABC 11, November 5, 2021

One NC city serves as a global solution for solving broadband inequities

NBC Nightly News, June 16, 2021

America the Vulnerable: Broadband

America the Vulnerable: Broadband

CNN, June 9, 2021

Biden wants to close the digital divide in the US. Here's what that could look like.

Planet Money, May 29, 2020

Small America vs. Big Internet

WRAL Spotlight Series

Wilson Spotlights

Pine Nash Development and Downtown Parking Deck

The Pine Nash Development currently under construction will transform the former site of the BB&T Towers in downtown Wilson. The initial plans for the site were announced in October 2019, when the City announced the creation of a master development plan for the site. The plan includes the donation of a portion of the former BB&T Towers site to the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson for the future shared home of an afterschool network for middle school youth and the Wilson Family YMCA. The development is expected to bring nearly $100 million in new investment to downtown Wilson. 

Also in October 2019, the City announced that NSV Development will create a large-scale residential/retail mixed-use development fronting Pine and Nash Streets.

“When BB&T made such a bold commitment to build a new facility in downtown Wilson, we realized we needed to be strategic, using that investment to build momentum and leverage additional investment,” said Grant Goings, Wilson City Manager. “We believe the impact of this block will be tremendous, a community-changing development of a scale unseen by cities of Wilson’s size.”

Then in February 2020, the City Council approved the Pine-Nash Street District master development agreement. The entire project brings nearly $100 million in investment in downtown Wilson. The mixed-use development, which will front Pine Street, is expected to include retail on the ground floor with 200-250 apartments above. The city will construct a parking garage on the land behind the YMCA, providing valuable infrastructure for future development of the district.

Attracting downtown residents has been a long-term objective of the city in its downtown development efforts.

“Downtown residents are key to our future viability,” said Goings. “This project will deliver a product that does not currently exist in Wilson and is rarely seen outside of metropolitan areas. People that have never considered living in our downtown will be attracted to this offering.”

“The City is being very intentional with our decision making because we only get one shot to get this right,” said Goings when the master development agreement was approved. “The Council believes that a master development agreement protects our public investments in the district and ensures a final product that is complementary to our community and a catalyst for future investment.”

Construction began on the Wilson YMCA and the parking deck in early 2021. The YMCA and parking deck are expected to open in 2022. Construction in the district will continue for several years.

Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum

The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum (501(c)3 nonprofit), along with many public/private partnerships, is developing a world-class public sculpture park that will be a catalyst for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, a year-round tourist destination, a community gathering place, and provide innovative educational programs integrating science, art, and the history of Eastern North Carolina.

The park was conceived originally in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, our community’s economic growth plan, which was created with the help of thousands of citizens from across Wilson and was adopted by City Council in 2010. During the early stages of the park project, Vollis Simpson’s Whirligig’s had the honor of being named the North Carolina State Folk Art.

The park project has spurred private development in Historic Downtown Wilson. Directly across from the park, both on South Street and on Goldsboro Street, there are private sector historic property redevelopment projects underway to complement the park. To date The City of Wilson has supported the project with in-kind professional services and staff time but no direct investment. In late January 2016, the City Council voted to ensure that the park will be completed.

You can like the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum Facebook page to see more images, videos, and news.