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Ordinance Making Supplemental Appropriation in the Amount of $203,344 for the Resurfacing of Tennis Courts 9-18 and Center Court at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex at Empie Park
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Department: |
Parks & Recreation |
Meeting Date: |
2/3/2026 |
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Contact Name: |
Amy Beatty |
Public Hearing: |
No |
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Contact Phone: |
910-341-5838 |
Advertising Date/Advertised By: |
N/A |
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Attachments: |
Attachment #1: Ordinance; Attachment #2: Grant & Donation Award Letters |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this ordinance is to appropriate $203,344 towards the resurfacing of eleven courts (# 9-18) and center court at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex at Empie Park (“Gibson Complex”) from existing capital project funding allocated for the project, acceptance of grant funding from the United States Tennis Association (“USTA”), and acceptance of a donation from the Greater Wilmington Tennis Association (“GWTA”).
BACKGROUND:
The Gibson Complex features twenty-four (24) hard tennis courts with lights, a 1,500-square-foot clubhouse with lounge, meeting room and snack counter. The Gibson Complex was established in 2010. Center court and courts nine through eighteen were resurfaced in 2018. It is recommended that hard tennis courts be resurfaced every four to eight years to maintain the safety and integrity of the courts. This project will ensure the courts at the facility are within recommended conditions.
Recent Gibson Complex annual revenues generated are as follows:
Fiscal Year 2024 $35,852
Fiscal Year 2025 $72,995
July-Dec 2025 $38,791
The City Council adopted 2025 Parks and Recreation Cost Recovery Policy placed parks and recreation services and activities into cost recovery tiers. The tiers were based on the extent of public benefit received versus private benefit received and cost recovery targets ranged 0% to 100%. The Gibson Complex was placed in Tier 2, Considerable Community Benefit, which established a cost recovery target of 20-50%. The Gibson Complex is achieving its cost recovery target. Investments in the Gibson Complex enable the city to continue to attract community players and host significant tournaments that contribute to the region’s economy.
budget
BUDGET IMPACT:
If approved, this ordinance will reallocate $100,000 from the Parks Capital Facility Maintenance fund, allocate $7,564 from a USTA grant for tennis court maintenance, allocate $1,000 in grant funding from the USTA North Carolina “Raise the Net” grant program, allocate $29,000 in USTA Southern Build It Forward grant funding, and allocate $60,000 in USTA Tennis Venue Services grant funding. Finally, this ordinance will also allocate a donation from GWTA in the amount of $5,780, for a total of $203,344 needed to fund this project. Application for these grants and the acceptance of the donation from the GWTA were approved at the July 15, 2025, City Council meeting.
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of the ordinance is recommended.