NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 22, 2000

GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR BROOKS PARK

CARY, NC – The groundbreaking ceremony for Phase I of the Cary’s new Thomas Brooks Park will be held at noon Wednesday, February 23^rd at the park site on Green Level Church Road and Green Hope School Road. Named in honor of former Cary Town Council member Dr. Thomas E. Brooks who served from 1975 to 1997, this 127-acre community park in West Cary will provide additional athletic fields to meet program needs in addition to leisure opportunities for Cary residents.

Phase I of the park includes: 4 softball fields, 2 soccer fields, support buildings, 2 picnic shelters, 1 playground, 2 basketball courts and a walking path. The project is being supported through bonds as well as a $250,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The proposed completion date is March 2001.

Cary currently has a total of 19 parks open or under construction. When complete, the Thomas Brooks Park will bring the total number of public parkland acreage in Cary to 750.

Woolpert LLP of Charlotte led the Brooks Park design team. Woolpert LLP has designed many large parks and athletic complexes in North Carolina including Martha Rivers Park in Gastonia, Renaissance Park, Mallard Creek Park, and Freedom Park in Charlotte, and Triad Park in Kernersville. The civil engineers are Withers & Ravenel and electrical engineers are K.M. Armstrong Assoc. Contractors for this project include: 1) General Sitework: R&G Construction; 2) General Building: MLB Industries; 3) Electrical: Tommy Lawrence Electrical Contractors and 4) Plumbing & Mechanical: Brown Brothers Plumbing and Heating Company.

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