Here are the projects up for Wake County tourism money. Which would you pick?

News & Observer | 02.09.2026

Ballet studios. Cricket field renovations. Moving a 52-foot northern right whale skeleton called Stumpy.

A record 20 nonprofits, businesses and towns pitched 22 projects they believe will fill hotel beds and draw visitors in hopes of receiving a portion of $23.5 million in tourism money from Wake County and Raleigh.

The Wake County Board of Commissioners will get its first look at the projects it and the city could fund Monday afternoon. A team of county and city staff, and representatives from the Convention and Visitors Bureau, United Arts of Wake County and the Wake County Hospitality Alliance, and others scored the pitches and made funding recommendations .

The soonest Wake County leaders could vote on whether to accept the evaluation team’s recommendations is Feb. 16, followed by the Raleigh City Council on Feb. 17.

Where does the tourism money come from?

State law allows Wake County to levy a hotel room occupancy tax and a prepared food and beverage tax to support “a convention center, arena and other cultural, sports and arts activities.”

What projects could get tourism money?

The following projects are being recommended for funding:

Apex Town Campus Stage: The town of Apex requested $348,961 for a performance stage venue on the Apex Town Campus for concerts and other performances. It would have a 1,700 person capacity, including 600 seats. The total project cost is $697,923. Staff is recommending $348,000.

Carolina Ballet at Starline South Hills: The Carolina Ballet requested $5.5 million to convertpart of a vacant car dealership into a mixed-use district including the ballet, food and beverages and retail at the renovated South Hills Mall & Plaza at the border of Cary and Raleigh. The ballet space would include a black box theater, five studios, costume storage, offices and a ballet school. The total project cost if $15.06 million. Staff is recommending $1.5 million.

Farm Athletic Complex in Rolesville: The town of Rolesville requested $3.8 million for five soccer and multipurpose fields, parking, restrooms and concessions for a future park near North Main Street and U.S. 401 in Rolesville. The total project cost is $7.6 million. Staff is recommending the full $3.8 million the town requested.

Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences: The nonprofit that supports the museum requested $1.23 million to renovate the Jones Street entrance into a new welcome hall. It would include moving Stumpy, the 52-foot northern right whale skeleton, to the welcome hall. The total project cost is $2.5 million. Staff recommends $954,000.

Fuquay-Varina’s Fleming Loop Park: The town of Fuquay-Varina requested $5 million to convert seven grass fields to artificial turf to attract more events and tournaments at Fleming Loop Park. The plans also call for adding six pickleball courts. The total project cost is $10.5 million. Staff recommends $4.25 million.

Holly Springs Ting Park: The town of Holly Springs requested $5.5 million to replace the baseball field turf, construct a parking garage, update the mechanical and HVAC systems and improve the current parking lot at Ting Park, which is home to the Holly Springs Salamanders, a member of the Coastal Plain League. The total project cost is $24.7 million. Staff recommends $1.79 million.

Morrisville’s Church Street Park: The town of Morrisville requested $2 million for cricket field renovations, adding two new pitches and upgrading the lighting to meet broadcasting requirements for international cricket matches at Church Street Park. The total project cost is $5 million, and staff recommends the full $2 million.

NC Football Club Youth at WRAL Soccer Park: NCFC Youth requested $3.5 million for a new administrative and event headquarters at WRAL Soccer Park to help the group maintain its “competitive edge as the single largest annual generator of sports driven room nights” at area hotels. The improvements would include a “fast-casual cafe,” medical suite, meeting rooms and a multipurpose space. The total project cost is $11.94 million. Staff recommends $2 million.

Triangle Aquatic Center: The nonprofit requested $60,000 for renovations to its hospitality suite to help secure events and swimming tournaments. The total project cost is $120,000. Staff recommends $59,000.

Wake Forest’s JB Flaherty Park: The town of Wake Forest requested $1.74 million for improvements at three baseball and softball fields including replacing the scoreboard, a new concession stand, more batting cages, new dugouts and more parking at JB Flaherty Park. The total project cost is $3.48 million. Staff recommends $750,000.

Wake Forest Skate Park & Pump Track: The town of Wake Forest requested $4.83 million for a new 25,000 square foot skate park and pump track, usually a circuit designed for skaters and bikers to use without pedalling, on town-owned land near Joyner Park. The total project cost is $9.7 million. Staff recommends $3.9 million in funding.

Zebulon Community Park: The town of Zebulon requested $3 million for four new soccer fields, additional parking, a playground and walking paths for the town’s largest park, Zebulon Community Park. The total project cost is $6.4 million. Staff is recommending $2.16 million.

Which projects aren’t recommended for funding?

There were nine groups and municipalities that didn’t get a recommendation for funding.

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article314516695.html#storylink=cpy

• Ammons Building Corp. requested $5.5 million for renovations to Dorton Arena including HVAC improvements, becoming ADA compliant and modernizing for multi-purposes uses.
• BBTA, LLC, requested $2.5 million to renovate an indoor, eight-court pickleball facility in Cary.
• NC Museum of Art Foundation requested $2 million to renovate the East Building of the North Carolina Museum of Art including a covered pavilion for events and “grand lawn” for festivals and gatherings.
• NC Museum of History Foundation requested $5.5 million toward a fundraising goal of $50 million for exhibits planned as part of the renovation underway at the history museum.
• Swing Sports, Inc., requested $10 million to construct 44-acre racquet sports complex that includes 25 indoor and outdoor courts in Raleigh.
• The town of Fuquay-Varina requested $1.18 million for an armed service memorial, play space and rock climbing wall at Library Park.
• The town of Garner requested $2 million for the first phase of work at Meadowbrook Park, including an 18-hole disc golf court, a cultural history trail and trails for hiking and biking.
• TPG Venture I, LLC requested $5.5 million for a new indoor and outdoor soccer complex in Holly Springs.
• Wolfpack Elite, Inc., requested $624,500 for replace the Lake Johnson Pool with a heated, year-round pool in Raleigh.
• The Dix Park Conservancy requested $4.5 million to convert the Brown Building at Dix Park, near Gipson Play Plaza, to a restaurant and concession facility. The project wasn’t scored, and thus wasn’t recommended for funding, after the county manager and county attorney “determined it does not fit within the eligible uses of hospitality tax revenues,” according to the presentation.

How were projects recommended?

A request for funding proposal outlined how Wake County and Raleigh would evaluate their choices, including looking at potential return on investment, the demand for the type of facility and how feasible the project is based on other funding.

Higher scores were given to projects considered “shovel-ready.”

There were also “minimum criteria” that groups had to follow:

• The project had to be in Wake County
• It had to be used for “convention, arts, culture or sports facilities.”
• It had to have a capital or construction cost of at least $100,000. This means the funding couldn’t be used for salaries or ongoing supplies at a facility.
• The request had to be less than half the total capital project cost.