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City of Wilmington to study Eden Park, suggest updates

Wilmington City Council has scrounged up $200,000 to study Eden Park, a grass field currently utilized by multiple inner-city groups.

Unspent funds from the Peter Spencer Plaza Renovation Project will be used for an internal study of the park.

 

Wilmington City Council President Theo Gregory says the idea to study Eden Park was resurrected by the debate surrounding funding sources for Baynard Stadium.

 

Gregory says efforts to address the two facilities will happen concurrently, though he expects upgrades to Eden Park to be complete sooner.

 

“They should be able to do a study within 90 days," Gregory said. "The only thing that may hold it up this time of the year would be the weather.”

 

Gregory attributes the anticipated quicker turnaround for Eden updates to lower cost – an estimated $2 million for a turf field, including excavation.

“We’re not trying to do anything grandiose, you’re not trying to do a high school field, you’re just trying to take a field that’s already there and enhance it so kids can use it for games and practice," Gregory said.

Updates to Baynard were estimated to be over $20 million. But Gregory says project cost isn’t the only difference between the facilities.
 

“You don’t get to profit from concessions at Baynard because Baynard has an independent contractor that services anybody and everybody that uses Baynard stadium," Gregory said.

 

 

Eden Park allows each group to run the concession stand to help it raise money to pay for referee fees and other costs.

 

Salesianum School offered last month to raise $20 million in private funds to renovate it in exchange for a 50-year lease to operate the field.

 

Salesianum’s offer was pulled amid concern about accessibility to inner-city leagues.

 
 

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