City, state leaders tour historic downtown to discuss preservation

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cape Fear region, especially Downtown Wilmington, is full of historic buildings and landmarks. And now state and local leaders are pushing to get a historic preservation tax back, because they say they want to save that history.

“It is our historic downtown and riverfront that is the crown jewel of our region and separates us from the rest of North Carolina,” Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said.

It’s a gem, Saffo says, that needs to be preserved.

Saffo was joined by Susan Kluttz, the secretary of cultural resources, and other city leaders on a tour of the historic downtown this morning. They say a historic preservation tax that ended at the beginning of this year needs to come back.

“If the legislator does not correct this, we expect to there to be dire consciences to Wilmington’s tourism industry, economy, work force and its unique historic nature that has been in trusted to each and every one of us,” Saffo said.

The tour stopped at a various commercial and residential buildings. Saffo says the historic preservation brings more labor intensive and better paying jobs to the city.

“Historic preservation has been a consistent source of local jobs and investments for our local economy, and throughout the state of North Carolina,” Saffo said.

Kluttz says eligibility for this program is limited. It is only for properties that are listed in national register districts for historic places. In Wilmington, she says more than 6,300 properties fall under that designation.

“I think when you see these beautiful buildings that we have such a rich history in North Carolina and I’m finding that North Carolinans value that history,” Kluttz said.