Home Care In Leland, NC

Jamey Cross

The town of Leland and officials with REV Entertainment have mutually agreed to "pause the conversation" regarding a minor league baseball stadium in Leland.

David Hollis, Leland town manager, announced the decision at Thursday's Leland Town Council meeting.

"After careful consideration and nearly 18 months of diligent work, a mutual decision has been made between the town of Leland and REV Entertainment, not to proceed with a baseball stadium in the Leland area at this time," Hollis said.

The announcement was met with a round of applause from the audience in attendance.

"The vision to bring baseball to Leland is an exciting prospective project and we thank all parties involved throughout the process and look forward to staying in touch for future opportunities," Hollis continued. "While both parties have decided to pause the conversation about building a ballpark in Leland, there is hope the conversation to bring baseball to Leland will continue sometime in the future."

In July 2022, Hollis said, REV Entertainment approached the town and Brunswick County with a proposal to develop 1,400 acres of land along U.S. 17 in Leland into a multi-use development complete with a ballpark and entertainment complex, as well as housing, retail, office and restaurant space.

In February 2023, town leaders agreed to fund a feasibility study to assess the economic impacts of the proposed development. Hollis said the town paid $25,000 for the study. Shortly after that assessment was underway, Brunswick County leaders decided against moving forward with funding the project.

The study was completed in October and its results were presented to the town council. The construction of the stadium itself was projected to cost over $105 million, but the study also found the mixed-use development could have generated billions of dollars in revenue and jobs.

The project was met with some support from the community, but the loudest response was negative.

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Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected] or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - After more than a year of back and forth, the Town of Leland says bringing professional baseball to town isn’t feasible right now. It’s not the first time that a baseball stadium has been unsuccessful in coming to southeastern North Carolina.

“I just don’t think it’s the right time,” Leland’s economic and community development director Barnes Sutton told WECT on Friday.

Some neighbors, on the other hand, have concerns about traffic and noise. They believe never is the right time for a stadium to come to town.

“I want to hear that you’re never going to build a stadium,” a neighbor said at Thursday’s town council meeting.

‘Take it off pause and stop it’: Leland town leaders decide not to move forward with proposed baseball stadium ‘at this time’

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo believes that it’s only a matter of time before baseball lands in Wilmington.

“At some point in time, I feel that it will happen because the baseball people have shared with us that this market is a market that is very attractive for minor-league baseball,” Saffo said.

While it’s been more than a decade since the idea of bringing a baseball team came to Wilmington, some of the challenges are still present. The land where the baseball stadium would have gone is now home to the Live Oak Bank Pavilion.

What does it take to bring baseball to Wilm? Council wants to find out

Many of those challenges from a decade ago are still prevalent today, mainly the question of who will pay for a new stadium.

“I think it just comes down to the structure of the deal. Could it be a public/private partnership with more public support?” Saffo said. “I don’t know.”

Without concrete answers, the concrete on a new stadium can’t be poured. But, some are holding out hope that professional baseball will eventually call southeastern North Carolina home.

Copyright 2024 WECT. All rights reserved.

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - The Leland Town Council decided during a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 18, that the town is no longer moving forward with a proposed baseball stadium development.

This is a breaking news update. You can learn more here.

Talk of a sports complex being built in Leland has been a topic of conversation for months.

Barnes Sutton, the town’s economic and community development director, says for now the focus is on building a sense of place in the town.

“The main thing that we’re kind of looking at now is what was baseball going to provide? What is the feel that we’re trying to bring to the community,” Sutton said.

What may seem like a home-run deal for some is more of a strikeout for neighbors who have said they don’t want to pay for it.

The town has projected the cost would be $105 million. It’s unclear at this point how much of the cost the town would be responsible for.

Related; ‘We’re not going to get a downtown unless we make one’: Leland Town Council hears update on proposal for baseball stadium, neighbors voice their concerns

Sutton says no matter what kind of attraction comes to town, there will be sacrifices.

“Regardless if it’s a baseball stadium or like in Wilmington with the Live Oak Pavilion, these things are going to bring noise or they’re going to bring traffic,” Sutton said.

Sutton says with the new developments in the Leland Town Center, from Cookout to HOTWORX to a new car wash, it’s proof that Leland is growing.

The town has a 20-year plan for growth in place, and Sutton believes Leland will take on an entirely different look in 2045.

“I think we’ll start to be able to attract some of those more boutique businesses or local restaurants right now. The cost is just prohibited for a lot of entrepreneurs to come into the area just have some of those up-front capital costs. Leland’s just really young,” Sutton said.

Sutton says no matter what kind of facility comes to town, he hopes Leland continues to build as a community.

As of now, there’s no official timeline on when any decisions will be made about the baseball stadium.

In terms of developments across Brunswick County, planning director Kirstie Dixon says there’s been a slight decline in the number of housing units being approved. Dixon says more than 7,000 units were approved in 2022, compared to about 3,000 in 2023.

While plans for more housing developments give some neighbors a headache, in other areas, growth means new commercial businesses including restaurants and stores.

Dixon says the public’s opinion is one of the factors leaders consider in weighing approval. It can even carry more weight than feedback from other groups, she says.

One example is the proposed Ashton Farms development in Ash, which the county planning board denied after hearing from neighbors.

“The planning board is legislative. So, you know people get up there and say whatever they want and can point out things,” Dixon said. “They play a huge role.”

Dixon wants to emphasize the importance of the public talking with the planning board about their questions or concerns with new developments. She says to give them a call.

Copyright 2024 WECT. All rights reserved.

Leland officials broke ground Friday on more than $8 million in renovations for the town’s flagship park.

Over the next year, Founders Park is set to see a range of upgrades, including a larger amphitheater and a new veteran’s memorial, along with a splash pad and playground upgrades. The groundbreaking serves as a “monumental moment” for the town, which has been working on the upgrades since 2019, according to Mayor Brenda Bozeman.

“Breaking ground on Founders Park renovations is a great accomplishment for the Town, bringing us one step closer to a beautiful new park that will benefit Leland families and their children for generations to come,” Bozeman wrote in a news release.

Bozeman along with other town council members and staff moved the first shovels of dirt Friday during a brief groundbreaking ceremony. Work on the park is expected to last one year. The park and its adjacent parking lots will be closed to the public during construction.

One of the biggest upgrades will be building a new amphitheater, said Wyatt Richardson, Leland’s Community Enrichment Director.

The new facility will replace an existing wooden platform with a raised stage complete with storage space and a green room for performers. The venue will have lawn seating with a paved dance floor in front of the stage.

Richardson said the town hopes the upgraded venue will help draw larger acts to the area and, in turn, draw more Leland residents and those from across the Cape Fear region to a wider range of events and concerts. (A map showing the upgrades is included above.)

Other upgrades will include a slash pad, a veterans memorial, an updated playground, a natural play area, fitness stations, walking trails and a picnic and restroom facility. Founders Park serves as a flagship facility for the town of Leland, hosting various events and programs throughout the year, including concerts, movies in the park, Trunk or Treat and Leland in Lights.

Funding for the $8 million in upgrades comes primarily from $6 million in loan proceeds. The Local Government Commission approved the debt financing for the project earlier this month.

The town will contribute nearly $1 million from its general fund toward the project. It’s also received more than $1 million in grant funding, including $489,000 from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and $250,000 from the Leland Tourism and Development Authority.

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LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Postal workers in Leland have been sorting mail out of a tent adjacent to the local post office for seven years, according to a letter carrier who works at the Leland Post Office.

The letter carrier, who chose to remain anonymous, said that the tent racks up a daily rental cost of approximately $100. Over the course of seven years, that translates to an estimated cost of $250,000.

The U.S. Postal Service clarified in a statement that tax dollars do not contribute to covering the rental expenses.

Long-time resident Carmelo Garofolo said he’s known about tent’s presence over the years but noted no issues with receiving mail.

“The white tent? Yeah, I knew that, yeah,” said Garofolo. “I saw it and had no problems then. Like I said, I’ve been there 11 years and no problems whatsoever. I think they’re really polite people”

Echoing similar sentiments, other residents like Joel McLean reported no significant mail-related issues, although McLean highlighted anecdotal evidence from his previous role as a hiring manager, where postal workers expressed dissatisfaction with the demanding work schedules.

“I was getting a lot of people at the post office wanting to come work, and they just couldn’t continue with, you know, 12, 14-hour days, 6 days a week and they were just getting burned out. So, that’s something that I think the U.S. Post Office is doing wrong these days,” McLean expressed.

When approached for comment, U.S. House Representative David Rouzer said he was unaware of the space issue at the Leland Post Office prior to the inquiry, and that he would address the issue with the Postmaster General.

“I’ll certainly visit with him about it,” Rouzer said. “The Postal Service though, many people don’t realize, is really an independent agency. Congress does not have much authority in terms of oversight,” Rouser said.

Rouzer also noted that with the growth of the region, he is not surprised that the postal location has made accommodations to keep up.

“You’ve got so many people leaving the upper Midwest and the Northeast and moving south and southeast that I’m not surprised that this has become a bit of an issue there in Leland,” Rouzer remarked.

The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement to WWAY:

“The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. We installed a non-permanent structure at the Leland Post Office because it’s more cost-effective for our operations than renting a secondary facility. Since Leland and nearby areas are growing, we will examine our options, including whether to remain at the current location or find a more suitable facility when our lease approaches its expiration.

We are truly appreciative of the efforts our employees make to serve each customer whether at the retail counter or while delivering mail and packages to every home and business. We thank customers for their continued support.”