Two coastal communities are in line for their share of the $8.7 million in grants for parks and recreation projects that the governor’s office announced Friday.
Holly Ridge is to receive $500,000 out of the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to expand a municipal park, and Wilmington is to receive $237,618 from the Accessible Parks Grant program to replace an existing playground.
“North Carolina has incredible natural beauty, and a strong parks system allows every North Carolinian to enjoy it for years to come,” Stein said. “These investments will strengthen local economies and improve people’s health and quality of life.”
The Parks and Recreation Authority selected the 21 projects out of 41 applications during the Aug. 22 meeting. A maximum of $500,000 can be awarded to a single project, and the awardees must match the grant funding.
Holly Ridge has invested the last few years in making plans to add new features to an existing municipal park. The first phase of improvements, estimated to cost $1.6 million, is to include a multi-use path, splash pad, an inclusive playground, restrooms, fitness stations and parking. New water and sewer services along with storm water detention facilities to support the additions, according to the town’s Municipal Park Master Plan.
“This is great progress for Holly Ridge,” Mayor Pete Parnian said in May when announcing the council’s decision to move ahead with the project. “The park plan reflects our commitment to building a vibrant, active, and connected community, and Phase 1 will lay the foundation for a space residents of all ages can enjoy for years to come.”
Wilmington officials said in early 2025 that the Parks and Recreation Department planned to apply for the grant to replace the existing playground at the Fit For Fun Center with one that is an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant structure, extend the playground surface, and install new fencing.
An indoor play space for children, the center’s outdoor playground was installed in 2002, “sees a comparatively high volume of use, and is not ADA accessible,” officials said at the time. The grant is to “help ensure that the playground is replaced within two years and potentially with a better structure than the City could provide without additional funding.”
For the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, or PARTF, the total recurring funding is distributed to state parks and DuPont State Recreational Forest, municipalities, counties, and public beach and coastal accesses. The funds can be used for land acquisition, new recreation facilities, or improvements to existing parks.
The Accessible Parks Grant program was authorized in the 2023 budget to provide matching grants for parks and recreation. The second and final round of nonrecurring funding considered 29 applicants requesting a total of $11.7 million. Awardees must match the grant with at least $1 of local funds for every $5 in grant funds.
Both PARTF and the nonrecurring Accessible Parks grant subset are managed by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources through its Division of Parks and Recreation. A partnership with Recreation Resources Service at N.C. State University offers assistance from grant specialists to local applicants.