Holly Springs Recreation Center Reaches Topping Out Milestone at Eagles Landing Park

Construction crews placed the final steel beam atop Holly Springs' new Eagles Landing recreation center on April 6, a milestone that signals relief is coming for a town where youth sports leagues have been turned away for lack of field space.

The two-story, 100,000-square-foot structure on Cass Holt Road, directly across from Holly Springs High School, cleared its structural framing phase and now moves into interior mechanical, electrical, and finish work. Park opening is anticipated in 2027, with outdoor amenities such as the two artificial-turf multipurpose fields potentially unlocking earlier.

Parks and Recreation Director LeeAnn Plumer, who championed the bond ahead of the 2023 vote, was direct about what the shortage in facilities has cost the community. "Our youth sports leagues are really maxing out in terms of the number of teams we can put in because we don't have the facilities to be able to manage," she said. The demand runs across generations: "Families that have been attracted here are now bringing their parents down, and our senior population is growing. We want to make sure we can provide those services, whether they be social activities or physical activities, to everybody in the community."

That growth is quantifiable. Holly Springs had 10,155 residents in 2000. The town's population reached an estimated 49,417 by 2024, nearly five times the 2000 figure, and continues to expand at roughly 4.5% annually according to NC State Treasurer's office data. The recreational infrastructure built for that much smaller community simply cannot absorb the demand.

Eagles Landing also fills a specific geographic gap. The 56-acre site, converted from what town procurement documents describe as active farmland with a barn on-site, will become the first park west of N.C. 55 in Holly Springs, a coverage hole planners identified years before the bond came to a vote.

When the doors open, residents can expect six lighted pickleball courts, two basketball courts, two artificial-turf fields suited for soccer and lacrosse, a splash pad, an all-wheels skatepark, multi-use trails, and world-class public art throughout the grounds. The recreation center itself targets multigenerational use: fitness programming, youth leagues, senior activities, community meetings, and event space. The full complex also includes a 7,700-square-foot restroom building and a 1,500-square-foot picnic shelter.

The project draws from two funding sources. Holly Springs voters approved a $100 million Parks Bond Referendum in November 2023, and Wake County contributed an additional $2.3 million in hospitality tax proceeds. The Town Council locked in a $20,211,917 Guaranteed Maximum Price for the initial construction package in January 2025, and crews broke ground that spring.

Mayor Sean Mayefskie backed the bond referendum by pointing to community input: residents flagged quality parks and greenways as a top priority in the town's 2021 Community Survey and Parks, Recreation, and Greenways Master Plan.

The 2023 bond is by far the largest parks investment in Holly Springs history. The town's 2011 bond, a comparatively modest $20 million, funded turf and lights at Womble Park, purchased the Sugg Farm property, and built Ting Park, all facilities now heavily used. Eagles Landing's scale reflects how thoroughly the community has outgrown that earlier infrastructure.

The project has already drawn recognition before a single interior wall goes up. The NC Chapter of the American Planning Association named Eagles Landing Park a 2024 Great Place - Great Healthy Place. Membership fees and programming details have not been announced; the town will release updates at hollyspringsnc.gov/eagleslanding as construction advances toward the 2027 opening.