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Wilson This Week -- Feb. 25, 2026

Mall demolition brings back memories

The demolition of the former Parkwood/Wilson Mall began last week as the D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. began tearing it apart with an excavator and hauling away debris.

Social media pages exploded with people sharing their memories of the mall, which opened in 1964 as the open-air Parkwood Shopping Center and enclosed as Parkwood Mall in 1979. The mall was essentially closed in 2013, although the last tenants remained longer -- K&W closing in 2020 and Roses leaving in early 2025.

Along with the memories came a lot of questions. We will answer some here:

What will happen to the site? 

The demolition will take the property down to its slab with work completed by this summer. Following that, the city plans to market most of the property for private development. Preliminary work is underway now and opportunities for public input will be included. The northern portion (around the former Kroger building) will be used for a park including a stormwater feature to help lessen flooding risks in the area. We have lots of ideas for this to make it a useful and beautiful park - think more streams and waterfalls rather than retaining ponds - but it is still in planning phase. 

Why didn't the city try to save the mall and convert it to a new use?

Many people have suggested the city could have made the mall into a convention center, youth facility, affordable housing or other ideas.

But the building was too far gone. It had been neglected for a decade before it was in city ownership and roof leaks had allowed plant growth and mold in the structure, vandals had done extensive damage, plus there were asbestos materials. It would not have been safe to save.

Why didn't Wilson use the mall location for the Wilson Warbirds' new ballfield?

At the time the Milwaukee Brewers announced the move of their Single A ballclub to Wilson in March 2023, the city did not own the mall property. But the Brewers looked at several sites and always preferred a downtown location. It's a good thing because that mall is still there and the Warbirds start play in April.

Can I have a brick? 

D.H. Griffin's contract calls for them to salvage and sell the debris. They did a similar process for the BB&T towers. So we don't have bricks to give away. 

What will happen to the cemetery/AMC theater/other outparcels?

The cemetery will remain as it is now. The theater and outparcels should be unaffected. They are still owned by Hull Property Group. Please go to the movies and the restaurants, we want them to be continue to be a part of our community. 

Read more questions and a history of the mall at the link below. 

Fuel Disposal & Recycle

Need to safely dispose of fuel or oil? Recycle it with us! Wilson City & County residents can bring up to 20 gallons of used oil, oil filters, gas, gas-oil mix, or diesel per vehicle.

Free Compost Giveaway

Planning your garden or lawn projects and in need of compost? We have plenty, get it from us for free!  Take as much as you can carry - truck, trailer, buckets, etc. City employees will be on site to assist anyone.

Understanding higher winter utility bills

It happens almost every year. Winter utility bills hit us right when the Christmas credit card bills come due. Maybe you saw some reminders about keeping the thermostat set on 68 degrees or checking for drafts around windows and doors. But most likely you were trying to navigate the multiple winter storms, the days off school, the cancelled weekend plans, and a big utility bill hits.

We understand -- it's frustrating, it's hard on the wallet, and it makes you feel helpless. It might even seem wrong, like there's been an error with your meter or your bill. Our Customer Service staff is here to help if needed, but the answer to most questions is it has been very cold this winter. And cold temperatures lead to high usage, which leads to high utility bills. 

So why is your bill high? 

This winter has been cold. From January 24 until February 2, the highest temperature in Wilson was 40 degrees. The average high temperature during that time was 34.9 degrees. The lowest temperature was 13 degrees and the average low was 20.3 degrees. For reference, Wilson's average high temperature in January is 50 degrees and average low is 31 degrees.

The temperature outside has a direct link to how hard your heating system works. With lows in the teens for multiple days, the difference in inside temperature and outside temperature 50 degrees! That's even if you kept the thermostat on the recommended setting, 68 degrees. 

Both electric and natural gas are billed by how much you use during the billing period. It's listed on the monthly bill, but you can see more updated data on MyWilson. Check your usage from January 24 until February 2. We're pretty sure you will find you used a lot of energy those days. 

We had two winter storms in January, with schools cancelled multiple days. More people at home means more electric usage, too. 

Maybe you've seen some social media posts angrily sharing utility bill amounts. Nobody at the City of Wilson likes it when your bills are high; most of us are also customers and we don't like it either. That is why we preach energy efficiency habits so much. We know it can be unsatisfying to have a simple answer to what seems like a complicated question, but this one is easy. Very cold weather and being home for back-to-back winter storms leads to higher usage, and higher usage leads to high bills. 

Thank you for your patience, warmer weather and lower bills are coming.

Black History Month Feature: Red Hot Hose Company

They assisted in several of the biggest fires in the city's history, including the Centre Brick Warehouse fire in 1951. They were known for the speed at which they could pull a reel cart and won several state competitions.

National Engineers Week: Building Wilson's Future

During National Engineers Week, the City of Wilson recognizes the talented engineers who help design, maintain, and improve the infrastructure our community relies on every day. From water and sewer systems to transportation planning and public facilities, engineers play a vital role in keeping essential services running safely and efficiently. This year's theme, Transform Your Future, highlights how engineering not only shapes the physical world around us but also inspires innovation and opportunity for the next generation. We're proud to celebrate the dedication, creativity, and problem-solving skills of all City engineers who work behind the scenes to keep Wilson moving forward.  To help inspire the next generation of innovators, we will be participating in a community STEM night on Wednesday, March 4, from 6-8 p.m. at Greenfield School. Families are invited to explore hands-on exhibits and meet professionals from: Greenlight Community Broadband Wilson Police Department Forensics Wilson Fire/ Rescue Services Wilson Energy - Electric and Natural Gas Wilson Stormwater This free event is open to the public and offers a fun way to learn how STEM careers help serve and strengthen our community.

MyWilson payments remain unavailable

Our third-party vendor, BridgePay Network Solutions, remains unable to process payments through MyWilson because of its nationwide outage. When we were first notified of the outage in early February, we reached out to autopay customers advising them not to pay outstanding balances because they would be processed as soon as BridgePay service was restored. As we head into the third week of the outage, autopay customers have started receiving system-generated past due notices. We apologize for the confusion this has caused to autopay customers. Our Customer Service staff is contacting autopay customers with specific instructions for this billing cycle. Autopay customers will not be disconnected for past due balance, and there will be no other adverse effects to accounts because of the outage.

 Autopay customers should pay current balances as soon as possible. The easiest option is to pay by phone at (252) 399-2200, option 1. Credit card payments are still available through the phone system. Please be patient as the system is experiencing higher than normal call volumes. Calling during non-business hours is usually easier.

 If you prefer to pay by check you can mail it or drop it in the drop box located in Lane 1 of the drive thru at 208 Nash St NE. The mailing address is PO Box 2407 Wilson, NC 27894. Customers can also pay in person at the Customer Service Center.

Customers who made payments through MyWilson on February 5 have seen a delayed processing time due to the outage that happened that day. Those payments will be processed tonight and will show correctly in MyWilson tomorrow. Those customers will also be contacted by Customer Service in the next few days.

Bridgepay Network Solutions is a recognized, PCI Level 1 certified payment provider.  The Level 1 certification is the highest and most stringent level for payment security. BridgePay has been providing regular updates throughout the outage. The most recent update confirms they have completed security validations and are now working to resume transaction processing. At this time we do not have an ETA for recovery.

Wastewater professionals appreciation day - Feb. 25

February 25 is Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day, a day to recognize those city employees who work every day to protect public health and the environment. Wastewater professionals operate and maintain the systems that safely treat water, prevent overflows, an keep essential services running in Wilson. Their work happens around the clock--often behind the scenes--but plays a vital role in keeping Wilson clean and safe.  Residents can help support the system by remembering:  Only flush toilet paper Keep grease and oils out of drains Report sewer concerns when they occur Thank you to Wilson's Wastewater team for the important work you do for our community.