County and City discuss $2.6 million in incentive packages to provide more than 1,000 jobs

WILMINGTON AND NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — In the coming weeks, Wilmington City Council and New Hanover County Commissioners will vote on whether to offer $2.6 million in economic incentive packages to four businesses. Three wish to expand locally, while one plans to move here. It could mean almost 1,100 jobs for the Cape Fear.

“Providing great job opportunities for our citizens which people always looking for quality jobs that will provide not just 15 dollars an hour, but a livable wage,” Commissioner Jonathan Barfield explained. “And with the incentives we are looking at on this agenda, they’ll bring a whole lot more than that.”

According to Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Haynes, the projects, nicknamed Project Speed, Project Buckeye, Project Clear, and Project Transit are unidentified because the state is involved. The state will make the announcement if the county and city vote in favor of the incentives.

“We’re trying to provide things so that young people that grew up here that get educated and want to come back home, that they will have opportunities to have a career path,” said Haynes.

Haynes did emphasize, however, this isn’t giving businesses money up front. They have to deliver on local jobs and investment in the community first.

“They don’t get any until after they’ve actually either built their brick and mortar facilities,” Haynes said. “Then they get some money, but they have to provide the jobs.”

According to documents presented to the council, average salaries among the businesses be between $62,000 (Project Transit) and $131,000 (Project Clear).

” (It means) more jobs, higher paying jobs,” Councilman Luke Waddell continued, “in a lot of different sectors. Which we need.”

The businesses could also potentially bring environmentally friendly jobs.

“Especially looking at clean industry,” Barfield said, “you know be what people call green jobs. Not adding to any footprint in terms of particular manner and those kinds of things.”

County Commissioners will vote on this in their next meeting Monday. City Council members will vote March 1.