Wednesday, February 12, 2025

County and Wilmington plan joint agreement to purchase Echo Farms pool and tennis courts

The plan will initially cost around $4 million, though long-term costs aren't yet known. The joint purchase will cover about 10 percent of the Echo Farms Golf Course property, but not much of the greenspace proper.

The Save Echo Farms movement started several years ago when developers announced intentions to build on the golf course of Echo Farms (Port City Daily/File)

WILMINGTON — The City of Wilmington and New Hanover County have agreed to purchase 14-acres of land inside Echo Farms to serve as a public park. The purchase price for the land is $1.7 million, but developing the park and repairing tennis courts and the pool will present additional costs for taxpayers.

New Hanover County residents will shoulder the majority of the costs associated with the purchase.

“New Hanover County will pay 60 percent of the cost for the development and construction of the first two phases of the park, with the city paying 40 percent. The county will fully fund the final three phases,” according to the City of Wilmington.

The purchase comes after the closure of the Echo Farms Golf Course as the Matrix Development firm planned to build over 500 residences on the grounds. Residents of Echo Farms initially protested, saying the course provided valuable greenspace — although the course charged $22 to $35 dollars to play in the off-season, as well as a fee to walk the grounds.

Later, some residents petitioned the city as well as the county in an effort dubbed “Save Echo Farms” to purchase the property of the golf course to preserve greenspace.

Despite the claim that having the city and county purchase the land would be beneficial for greenspace preservation, concerns over loss of property values appeared to be at the root of the cause. John Hirchak, the leader behind the movement in 2016 told Port City Daily home values of golf course lots would depreciate by 10-30 percent if the land were developed.

The county and city will now be responsible for the maintenance of a neighborhood pool and tennis courts, sidewalks, and other infrastructure. Although the park is located inside Echo Farms, it will be open to the public.

Although it is a significant purchase, the park is only about 10 percent of the total area of the greenspace the residents of Echo Farms hoped to preserve, which totals 139 acres. Matrix Development is continuing with its plans for the Woodlands subdivision, submitting its most recent landscape plans to the City of Wilmington on May 31.

By June of 2020, the city hopes to have the first two phases of renovations complete. The cost to repair the tennis courts and construction of a new tennis and pool building is $2.1 million.

The final three phases, funded solely by the county will start no later than 2023 and include adding new courts, a playground, and a walking trail.

Wilmington City Council and the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will both need to formally vote to approve the plan.


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