But DeLaurentis hit hard times and 

 left town more than three years ago. 

 Many thought that would end 

 Wilmington's role as a movie mecca. 



Not so. Carolco Pictures bought 

 DEG Studios and continued to reel off 

 box office hits, though not at the same 

 rate as DeLaurentis. Carolco uses the 

 studios for its own features and 

 commercials, and it rents to other 

 filmmakers. 



Recent Wilmington films include 

 "Sleeping with the Enemy" and "Teen- 

 age Mutant Ninja Turtles II." 



But Hall questions the movie 

 industry's staying power. 



"They came here because it's an 

 inexpensive place to make movies," he 

 says. "But if costs rise as Wilmington 

 grows bigger, then they may start to 

 look elsewhere." 



But others say the opening of 1-40 

 offers the studio added incentive to 

 stay. It not only makes Wilmington 

 more accessible to moviemakers, but it 

 makes areas outside the port city 

 reachable too. 



As for industrial growth, New Han- 

 over County is at its limit. "We're run- 

 ning out of space for any large-scale 

 industrial growth," Hall says. "There are 

 a few sites in the northwest, and that's 

 it." 



Economists are predicting that any 

 new industries brought to the area by 

 1-40 will locate in adjacent counties, 

 where land is more available and 

 unemployment rates are higher. 



Even there, industrial growth on 

 the Cape Fear River may be limited by 

 state water quality standards. 



One economic factor nobody 

 wants to limit is tourism. Although 

 Wilmington doesn't want to be known 

 as a tourist town, visitors still make the 

 largest contribution to the New 

 Hanover economy. 



Most are drawn to the beaches at 

 Wrightsville, Kure and Carolina, but 

 others come to play — golf, tennis, 

 sailing and boating. According to 

 Augustine, 20 golf courses are scattered 

 across New Hanover County 



"The area is changing its image 

 from a port city and beach community 

 to a recreational community," Hartgen 

 says. "The local economy will not be 

 driven by residents but by those 

 coming from outside the area to spend 

 their disposable income." 



But for all the positives 1-40 brings, 

 there's also trouble right here in river 

 city. 



One problem begins where 1-40 

 ends: College Road. The interstate is 

 dumping 12,000 cars a day into an area 



teeming with shopping centers, fast 

 food restaurants and college students. 



"That area is being hit with a slug 

 of traffic," Hartgen says. "It was 

 predictable but not well-planned." 



Now Wilmington and New 

 Hanover County officials are scrambling 

 to work out some solutions. They are 

 discussing the possibility of an outer 

 loop to route beach traffic around the 

 city. 



Others are concerned about the 

 capability of Wilmington's water and 

 sewer systems to handle additional 

 residents and businesses. And still 

 others worry about the effects of the 

 development on the nearby river and 

 estuarine ecosystems. 



Many long-time residents, accus- 

 tomed to Wilmington's sleepier days, 

 complain that the quality' of life in the 

 port city is declining. They rue the day 

 when 1-40 was opened. 



But if these folks are upset, econo- 

 mists and planners say they "ain't seen 

 nothin' yet." 



Hartgen predicts that the summer 

 of 1991 will be prosperous because the 

 Gulf War has ended and the economy 

 is rebounding. 



"You can't go back," Hartgen says. 

 "The ribbon has been cut. Now all you 

 can do is plan for the future." 



5 



