Proposed 20-acre athletic and cultural center brings the public together for input

The athletic facility will include a track and field complex, a swim complex suitable for regional tournaments, along with indoor basketball and volleyball courts

NEW HANOVER COUNTY(WWAY) — Some folks gathered at the Wilmington Sportsmen’s Club to give input about a proposed 20-acre athletic cultural center.

The athletic facility will include a track and field complex, a swim complex suitable for regional tournaments, along with indoor basketball and volleyball courts, just to name a few.

Funding for the project will come from multiple private and community funding sources. The land for the proposed location, where the facility will sit is partially owned by The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina and New Hanover County Schools.

Philip Brown is the Board Chair for Northside Oasis of Wilmington. He feels conversations with The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina are underway and they’re strong advocates for the idea.

“It’s just a concept, right? There’s no permitting done. There is nothing but some ideas from some people who are passionate about bringing health and wellness to communities that may have been historically deprived of some of these opportunities,” Brown said.

Brown says this idea is to give opportunities to everyone. He says the next steps are to get as much community input to turn the vision into reality.