Author Archive

Bridging Futures: The Case for Toll Funding in Wilmington’s Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Revamp

Written by Natalie English, President and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and Tyler Newman, President and CEO of BASE (full article link here)   In late January, the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization will stand at a crossroads, tasked with taking the next step that will define a generation – the replacement of the

BASE Updates Brunswick Planning Board on Regional Growth Issues

In December, BASE was asked to make a presentation to the Brunswick County Planning Board regarding ongoing housing demand. The Planning Board has seen increased calls from a small faction of citizens to “stop development” in the County. As we explained to the Planning Board, Brunswick has seen remarkable growth—and will continue to over the

BRUNSWICK RETURNED TO WILMINGTON MSA

After a decade-long endeavor, Brunswick County has been successfully returned to the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This regulatory triumph is not only a significant win for our region but also for the entire state of North Carolina. The exclusion of Brunswick County from the Wilmington MSA has been a longstanding concern for local officials,

2023 REALTORS Congressional Visits

In May, we joined thousands of REALTORS® from around the United States for the annual NAR Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. In addition to speakers, meetings and education sessions at the Washington Convention Center, NAR rented out the entirety of Nationals Park for an evening event with all the members of Congress and their staffs.

Federal Action Clears Path For Wrightsville Beach To Get Sand This Fall

Among the issues we have continued to discuss with state and federal lawmakers is the dire situation with sand at Wrightsville Beach. On the same Wednesday we were in Washington, DC with the REALTORS®, Congressman Rouzer delivered remarks on his bill (HR524) during the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries legislative hearing. Critically important

UPDATE: Brunswick *NOT* tripling development fees as proposed

At their FY2024 budget workshop on June 5, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners and management were clear that they are NOT recommending changes to the System Development Fees as previously proposed. Without our involvement, “excessive” fee increases would have gone into effect July 1 and immediately halted ongoing projects and new investment in Brunswick County.

Regional Leaders Complete Duke North Carolina Leadership Forum

BASE President and CEO Tyler Newman was one of 34 distinguished leaders from Brunswick, New Hanover, Columbus, and Pender counties selected to participate in the Cape Fear Leadership Forum, an important program on how to increase access to adequate housing in the region. Offered by the North Carolina Leadership Forum (NCLF), a program of Duke University,

2023 Legislative and Public Policy Agenda Development Underway

Now that we know the makeup of our County Boards of Commissioners, Congress, and the North Carolina General Assembly for 2023, we can more effectively work to craft our pro-business legislative and public policy agenda for the coming year. We have begun the process of working with our advocacy partners and business members to identify

A Brief 2022 General Election Update

Now that the smoke has cleared, below is a 2022 General Election Update: North Carolina’s open US Senate seat was won by Ted Budd over Cheri Beasley While Republicans now have narrow Congressional control in the US House of Representatives, Democrats have narrow control of the US Senate, regardless of the results of the runoff

BASE Provides Letter to Census Bureau Regarding Urban Area Criteria Rulemaking

Business Alliance for a Sound Economy (BASE) is a regional business advocacy organization in southeastern North Carolina. BASE partners with organizations like the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington Cape Fear Home Builders Association and Brunswick County Association of REALTORS to advocate for growth and investment in southeastern North Carolina. Since Brunswick County was removed from