FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2011

Additional seating, new facilities to attract more economic development opportunities

CARY, NC – The Town of Cary has kicked off a 10-month expansion of WakeMed Soccer Park to enhance one of the region’s premier sports venues by increasing stadium seating and adding new team facilities, restrooms, concessions and multipurpose space in a new three-story building that will be constructed on the stadium’s east side.  Work will take place at the soccer park weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and occasionally on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. as needed.  While scheduled games will not be interrupted, there may be temporary closures of some seating in the east grand stands.  More than 360,000 people visit the soccer park annually bringing an estimated economic impact of $12 million to the region.

“Facilities like the soccer park are great for our citizens, who benefit not only from witnessing and participating in the play but also from the increased traffic in the businesses where they work,” said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.

“The expanded seating and new team facilities will make the soccer park more attractive to organizers of future events like the NCAA Men and Women’s Soccer Cup Championships,” said Keith Jenkins, Town of Cary Athletics Facility Supervisor. “We recently submitted a bid for the NCAA College Cup for 2012 and 2013, so completing this expansion is timely and important.”

In 2009, the Town began an update to the facility’s master plan that ultimately identified the need for stadium improvements, field enhancements and an increase in seating.  The resulting $6.3 million project will add 3,000 permanent seats to the 7,000-seat stadium, 1,500 of the seats going to the north end zone and the other 1,500 to the east side of the stadium. Also added on the east side will be a new three-story building to provide restrooms, concessions, and access to the additional seating from the third floor. Team locker rooms will be relocated to the ground level of the new structure to allow players direct access to the stadium from midfield and direct access from their team bus to the locker rooms.

Funding for the project includes $5.8 million of interlocal occupancy tax funds pledged to the Town by the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the City of Raleigh for special venues.

Located at 201 Soccer Park Drive just east of downtown Cary, the park was built by Wake County Government in 2002 on land provided by the State of North Carolina.  At the county’s request in 2004, the Town of Cary began operating and maintaining the facility, which also features eight training fields, a first-class cross-country course, and two stadium suites.  The park has played host to NCAA Division I, II and III men and women’s championships each year in addition to being the home of the Carolina RailHawks USL First Division professional soccer team.

For more, search WakeMed Soccer Park at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 858-0464.

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RELATED LINKS:

WakeMed Soccer Park Stadium Improvements Project

http://www.townofcary.org/Departments/Parks__Recreation___Cultural_Resources/Projects/soccerstadiumimprovements.htm

Soccer Stadium Renovation Sketch

http://www.townofcary.org/Assets/Staff+Reports/PR12-12c+East+Stands+Section+A311.pdf

WakeMed Soccer Park Master Plan

http://www.townofcary.org/Assets/Parks$!2c+Recreation+and+Cultural+Resources+Department/Planning+and+Design/WakeMed+Soccer+Expansion/wmspmaster.pdf