Governor Cooper announces nearly $4 million in grants for Cape Fear parks & recreation projects

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Governor Roy Cooper has announced 39 communities (including eight in the Cape Fear) receiving nearly $17 million in grants to fund local parks and recreation projects.

“Our parks and recreation areas are so valuable to our communities and they’ve become more popular than ever,” Governor Cooper said. “These projects we’re funding today will give people even more opportunities in North Carolina to build healthier and happier lives.”

This year, $17.9 million was allocated to PARTF for local projects—an amount at least triple that of most years in the last decade. With these awards, PARTF has now made more than 1,000 grants to build parks in communities across the state.

“Congratulations to the local governments that received Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grants to invest in the health and quality of life of their communities,” D. Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said. “The historic increases in funding by the legislature and Governor Cooper will result in more North Carolina families having ready access to outdoor recreation.”

Locations in the Cape Fear receiving grants include the Holden Beach Pier ($500,000), Osgood Canal Greenway – West Side Development ($443,408), Hampstead Kiwanis Park Phase 4 ($500,000), Central Pender Park Development ($500,000), Majestic Oaks Land Acquisition ($500,000), Wrightsville Beach Park Facility Improvements ($397,538), Calabash Waterfront Park ($500,000) and Brunswick Riverwalk Extension ($500,000).

The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority considered 49 local grant applications requesting $20.9 million in total. The maximum grant awarded for a single project was $500,000. Awardees must match funds dollar-for-dollar for the awarded amount.