WILMINGTON, NC — In a unanimous decision that financial analysts are calling “boldly nostalgic” and “possibly a felony,” the Wilmington City Council has voted to formally realign its entire municipal economic strategy to precisely mirror the peak film and television production metrics of the 1990s. The sweeping resolution, passed late Tuesday night, aims to restore what council members describe as a “golden age” when the coastal city was known as “2 East.”

The ambitious plan includes diverting current tourism and port infrastructure budgets towards the immediate construction of new soundstages optimized for early-digital, pre-HD camera formats, and offering substantial tax breaks to any production company willing to recreate the aesthetic and narrative quality of syndicated supernatural dramas or network teen soaps. Furthermore, the city intends to re-establish the precise number of crew jobs and ancillary service industries that existed between 1993 and 1998, with officials openly admitting this may require the involuntary decommissioning of several contemporary tech startups and artisanal coffee roasters.

“We haven't been this vibrant, this *relevant*, since the last episode of ‘The Golden Creek Mysteries’ aired,” declared Councilwoman Brenda Holloway, wiping a tear from her eye during a passionate public address. “The '90s were a simpler time, when a single syndicated supernatural drama could employ an entire soundstage full of prop masters who weren't constantly refreshing TikTok for the next viral dance. We built something special then. Something that was exactly 73% 'Dawson's Creek' and 27% 'One Tree Hill' without the annoying prequels.”

Economists, however, expressed skepticism. “While the 90s certainly saw a boom, it was also a highly specific, geographically opportunistic moment in a rapidly evolving industry,” explained Dr. Evelyn Kinsley, Professor of Ephemeral Local Economies at Cape Fear Community College. “To actively dismantle a modern 2 and force it back into a 30-year-old mold is like trying to convince a Tesla to run on leaded gasoline and a single Blockbuster membership. The film industry has, regrettably for Wilmington's plan, moved on to things like AI-generated scripts and productions that don't need to physically exist in a town with great beaches.”

The council’s resolution mandates a “cultural re-education” program for local high schoolers, emphasizing the foundational importance of baggy jeans, grunge music, and melodramatic dialogue as prerequisites for future employment. The city also plans to commission a 1:1 scale replica of the original “Capeside High School” set, despite not actually being the filming location for that particular series. Locals are reportedly divided, with some expressing excitement for the return of low-budget monster movies and others wondering how their Amazon packages will now be delivered without autonomous vehicle infrastructure.

The council estimates that by 2030, Wilmington will be fully capable of producing another season of “Vampire Surfers of Brunswick County,” regardless of audience demand or existing IP rights.