Cary to Host First Public Meeting on Proposed Indoor Sports Complex: Here’s What to Know

On Wednesday, January 25th, a Public Meeting will be held at the Herb Young Community Center to discuss The Centre, a future multi-story indoor sports complex. The meeting will take place from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, with a presentation from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

What is “The Centre” and where will it be?

The Centre is a 4-story community recreation and sports center that has been proposed by the Town of Cary. The proposed building would be built in the South Hills Mall area, near the Crossroads shopping plaza and the Raleigh border.

The Centre is hoped to increase the number of indoor sports activities that Cary offers and increase sports tourism. Many ideas for amenities are being considered (the town recently launched a survey asking what citizens would like to see in the community center), including basketball courts, a full-service restaurant, an e-sports area, an elevated walking track, and a dedicated space for seniors.

What is the purpose of The Centre?

The need for a new sports complex was identified in the 2018 Destination Strategic Plan (DSP), which found that an indoor, multi-use sports facility was needed to balance the county’s inventory of outdoor sports fields and venues. The Centre was proposed to help fill that need, and Cary was awarded a $35 million grant in 2020 to help make it happen. However, due to COVID-19, the funding source has been impacted, and the grant has been delayed.

The ambitious project has the potential to create a significant impact on sports tourism in the Triangle area, with the biggest potential roadblock being funding. If there is insufficient public support, some of the features proposed for The Centre may not come to fruition.

The Town of Cary encourages citizens with general questions about The Centre to contact TheCenter@townofcary.org with their name and contact info.

When will The Centre be completed?

There are several factors that will determine the completion date. In short – not any time soon. The Town of Cary has said that it should take one year to finalize the concept design, two years to complete the final design and permitting before beginning construction, and then two years for the construction to be complete. If all happens according to that schedule, then The Centre should be complete around late 2027, though this is subject to change.

What happened at the meeting?

No new information was provided during the first public meeting, but the town is encouraging all residents to fill out the survey here to help them decide which amenities to include in the future community center.

Update 01/26/2023:

At the Town Council Meeting this evening, a small discussion about The Centre occurred. It was noted that the cost of the project would be dependent on what amenities the community center would include and that it has not been decided yet as it is still in the early stages of planning. The concept photos may include features that ultimately do not end up being approved, and the project’s scope will be scaled depending on how much budget is allocated to it once the process gets further down the road.

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James Tuliano

Founder of The Cary Report. When I am not keeping up with local news, you can find me riding my bike around the Greenway trails or lying by the pool.

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