Imagine family outings to ball games at Ting Park seamlessly transitioning into an evening of dining and entertainment.
At the beginning of April, Holly Springs officials were exploring possibilities and are currently looking into adding an entertainment complex to Ting Park.
Sean Ryan, Planning Manager with Holly Springs Development Services said to the town, “Creating a Sports & Entertainment District at Ting Park is an exciting concept. It’s also something that resident feedback supported during the development of the town’s most recent Comprehensive Plan.”
Ting Park is a very popular sports center for Holly Springs. They have multiple rows of pickleball courts and tennis courts alongside. They also offer batting cages, a playground, a stadium that hosts baseball games and concerts, as well as a soccer field.
The town of Holly Springs would like to add restaurant and retail options in an undeveloped two-and-a-half-acre plot next to Ting Stadium.
Holly Springs Development Services Director Chris Hills said to ABC 11, “Something that would allow folks to do things while their kids might be at practice or at games.”
The population is rising so this is coming at a great time. The latest census data shows more than 41,000 people live in Holly Springs, up 67 percent from ten years prior.
“We want to make sure that people who live in Holly Springs have reasons to stay here and not have to leave town, as well as to attract new residents,” said Hill.
The development would happen through a public-private partnership, like the recent project downtown that built new stores, office buildings, and a parking deck for the town. Most of the money for the project is expected to come from private developers, not the town, which would help the town make the most of the money it already spent on the park.
Ryan pointed out that the district could grow by using Ting Park’s strong popularity; it brought in 750,000 visitors in 2023. In his presentation to the council, he shared several ideas for what the district could look like. These ideas included building multi-story buildings with shops on the bottom and apartments above, creating a “festival street” for fun, walkable events, offering different kinds of entertainment.
The town plans to get more public input as the ideas for the project continue to grow and a request for proposals is prepared for the council to review. Building a Sports & Entertainment District at Ting Park is expected to take several years.
Also this month, the council approved a 10-year agreement with the Holly Springs Baseball Club to use the stadium. This club includes the Holly Springs Salamanders, who play in the Coastal Plain League.
Over the past four seasons, the Salamanders have drawn more than 33,000 fans each year. Town staff said these visitors help support local shops and bring a positive economic impact to Holly Springs.
