Fayetteville, with a population of about 208,500, is the sixth-largest city in North Carolina. Why, then, is its skyline so flat compared with those of the state’s other major cities?
There are mid-rise buildings in Fayetteville, but relatively few high-rises. According to the International Building Code, a high-rise is a building with an occupied floor more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
Since a $110 million expansion in 2024, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has held the title of Fayetteville’s tallest building at just over 161 feet. Before the hospital claimed the top spot, the Dogwood State Building on Green Street — which opened in 1973 as the Wachovia Building — stood as the city’s tallest at 158 feet for nearly 50 years. The Self-Help building, at the corner of Green and Hay streets, is the city’s third-tallest structure at 120 feet.
How does Fayetteville compare to other N.C. cities?
In many American cities, taller buildings tend to accompany larger populations. North Carolina generally follows that pattern…