Land once eyed for a minor-league baseball stadium development could now officially become part of the town of Leland.

On Thursday, the Leland Town Council is set to consider directing town staff to investigate the annexation of more than 1,100 acres owned by Jackeys Creek Investors LLC. The land, currently in Brunswick County, is part of a 1,400-acre tract once slated for a proposed baseball stadium with surrounding commercial and residential development.

Leland officials announced earlier this year they reached a mutual decision with Texas-based REV Entertainment, the company behind the stadium plans, not to move forward with the project. The proposal had faced pushback from some Leland residents, who raised concerns about its cost and the impact development could have on existing neighborhoods and infrastructure.

A feasibility study estimated the stadium could have an estimated $21.9 million in annual economic impact across the Cape Fear region. Development costs were estimated at $105.6 million, with the stadium costing an estimated $59 million and the required infrastructure, including site preparations and utilities, estimated at $46 million.

Amid the stadium discussions, Jackeys Creek Investors LLC submitted an annexation petition to the town of Leland on Feb. 23, 2023, for 1,139 acres of the site. An annexation moratorium enacted by the North Carolina legislature went into effect for the town on March 1, 2023, suspending the town’s power to annex land.

The town council will consider moving the Jackeys Creek Investors annexation petition forward on Thursday when they vote on directing the town clerk to investigate the petition’s sufficiency.

This involves evaluating whether the petition and property meet statutory requirements for the town to consider the annexation, Leland Communications Manager Jessica Jewell wrote in an email to the Business Journal. The next steps in the annexation process would include a recommendation of the site’s zoning, the adoption of a certificate of sufficiency and public hearings, Jewell wrote.

According to Jewell, no new development plans have been submitted for the property, which is bordered by Leland’s Brunswick Forest, Westgate and Mallory Creek neighborhoods. A representative of Jackeys Creek Investors LLC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.