Cary voters' bond rejection puts long-planned sports facility in jeopardy
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A rendering of Cary's planned Sports & Recreation Community Center. Rendering: Courtesy of the Town of Cary
Cary voters' rejection of a park and recreation bond on Election Day has put the future of the town's long-planned sports facility in doubt.
Why it matters: Cary's planned $300 million Sports & Recreation Community Center has been pitched as both a key part of the South Hills mall redevelopment and a potential attraction for bringing visitors into the area.
- That's why Wake County's interlocal fund granted the project $75 million for its potential to attract youth sports tournaments.
Driving the news: But on Election Day Cary voters rejected both bonds that the town put on the ballot — one that would put $560 million toward six different parks projects and another that would invest $30 million toward affordable housing.
- Approval of both bonds would have increased Cary's property tax rate by 9 cents over three staggered periods in 2026, 2028 and 2030. That would equal about $90 per year for each $100,000 of assessed home value.
What they're saying: Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said the bond results will put a stop to all of the projects that the town proposed — unless a future bond brings them back up. But there is no plan to do that right now, he added.
- That includes the Sports & Recreation Center. "The majority of citizens said they do not want to pay for this facility. Therefore, it will not move forward," Weinbrecht said in an email.
Henry Ward, a partner at Loden Properties, which is redeveloping South Hills, said Wednesday that it was too soon to say what the bond rejection will mean for the sports facility.
- But "South Hills remains an incredible location that we look forward to transforming into a dynamic, regional destination," he added.
Zoom in: The Sports & Recreation Center has been pitched as the anchor tenant of the South Hills redevelopment, which hopes to turn the old mall and its sea of parking lots into blocks of development.
The entire project, which will be built over a 10-year period, would add around 4.5 million square feet of retail, office and residential space on the property. That would include:
- 550,000 square feet of retail space
- 935,000 square feet of office space
- 235,000 square feet of lab space
- 1,755 apartments — 5% of them would be set aside for renters making 80% of the area median income
- 350 hotel rooms
Yes, but: Ward has stressed Loden retains a lot of flexibility in its plans.
- "The overall master plan was carefully and deliberately crafted to provide flexibility as market needs and conditions evolve over the course of what will be a decade-long project," he added in a text message.