On Thursday, Wilmington Downtown Incorporated (WDI) and its 37-member board of directors endorsed the 2016 Parks Bond on the ballot.

The organization noted that the bond proposal focuses on 15 different projects across the community, including the development of North Waterfront Park.
 
“The Parks Bond would improve the quality of life for all area residents and spur new economic activity,” said Ed Wolverton, WDI president and CEO, in a news release. “This is the first time since 2006 that city voters are considering bonds to expand, improve and add new park and recreational facilities and WDI encourages residents to support the proposal.”
 
On Nov. 8, voters will decide whether the city can borrow money to begin $38 million in parks projects. The city of Wilmington would need to sell $30.4 million in bonds to finance the projects, while the remaining $7.6 million would come from existing funds.

The bond would be repaid by increasing the city’s property tax rate by 2.1 cents per $100 of valuation. That means that the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $42 more per year, or $3.50 each month, to fund the bond.
 
The development of North Waterfront Park is similar to urban parks that recently opened in Asheville, Nashville, Tennessee, and Greenville, South Carolina, WDI stated in its endorsement. The new park would include an outdoor music venue that could accommodate more than 5,000 people, intensive landscaping, connections to the Riverwalk, a kid’s play area, a splash pad and other amenities.
 
The bond also features several additional community projects. These include a new youth soccer complex, expanding recreation facilities and gyms, upgrades at Halyburton, Olsen, Greenfield Lake and Wade Parks, a new launch for area kayakers and canoeists on Bradley Creek, improvements at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex and additions at city-owned golf courses.
 
A complete list of projects that would be funded via the Parks Bond is available online at www.wilmingtonnc.gov/departments/city-manager/2016-parks-bond.