Sports and cultural arts complex proposed in Wilmington, NC


Hoping to bring a variety of health and wellness resources to Wilmington’s Northside community, the Northside Oasis of Wilmington nonprofit has proposed conceptual plans for a 20-acre sports and cultural arts complex.
“We think this is an opportunity for all,” Dr. Phillip Brown, Northside Oasis of Wilmington board chair, said. “It’s a place where nurturing growth can happen and that’s where the foundation should be equity.”
Brown said the concept of creating a healthy resource for children onsite has been discussed for more than 30 years, though, he described the plans for this complex, known as the Optimism Oasis, as a bolder and more unified vision.
“As a part of the of the work that Tracy was doing … he recognized that there was a location that could potentially accommodate such a grand facility and at the same time meet the unmet need of a community too often left behind,” Brown said of Founder and Concept Designer Tracy McCullen, who has been working on the project for five years.
Where would the complex be located?
Conceptual plans for the complex have been proposed across 20 acres on the Northside of Wilmington at 1310 McRae St.
Optimism Oasis would be built behind the existent Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern North Carolina at 2759 Vance St. and across from DC Virgo Preparatory Academy at 813 Nixon St.
What has been proposed for the site?
As a multi-sports and cultural center, plans for the site include a gym and swim sportsplex, a Northside community arts and culture center, a track and field sportsplex, a welcome center, edutainment (or educational entertainment) center, amphitheater and a health and wellness hotel with a rooftop restaurant and event space.
The track & field sportsplex would include a 400-meter eight-lane track, 100-meter ninja obstacle course, a No Fear Hemisphere Skate Park, an amphitheater with a jumbotron, a Poetry-in-Motion Playground, Poetry Labyrinth Water Park, E-sports arena and an all-day daycare center, according to the Optimism Oasis webpage.
The gym and swim sportsplex would include an Olympic size swimming pool, three additional pools, six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, 200-meter indoor track and field space, cycling and fitness center, space for gymnastics, martial arts, yoga, and dance, a sports medicine clinic, locker rooms, an hourly daycare center and rooftop pickleball and tennis courts.
In addition, a 15,000 square-foot cultural arts center could include a Museum of African American Athletic History in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, Brown said.
“The idea is to look at an area in our community with such a deep history going back over 100 years and to really celebrate that heritage, not just from an athletic standpoint, but certainly from an athletic standpoint, because it’s just an important part of our history and a part that we wouldn’t want lost to the future,” Brown said.
The principal architect on the project team, Zena Howard of Perkins&Will Architectural Firm, has worked on other nationally significant projects, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture located in Washington, D.C.
Other onsite amenities at Optimism Oasis would include a parking deck with more than 500 parking spaces, 5,000 square feet of maintenance and storage space, and athletic condos with daily and monthly rental options.
The complex would be open from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily, providing free access and swim lessons to members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina and students from New Hanover County Schools at designated times.
How has the community responded?
In late November, the nonprofit hosted a public input session to present the vision for the project and gather feedback from the community.
“There was a large amount of input and there was a large amount of engagement (from) people with ideas with a willingness to participate, and there were some naysayers,” Brown said. “I think that really is a testimony to what we might expect when you’re talking about anything in a community that has been underserved for a period of time.”
To fulfill the facility’s goal of inclusion, Brown said the organization seeks to engage with the community to define desirable features, establish accountability measures, and adapt to evolving needs.
“There’s the concern of gentrification, which is very real, which is already happening,” Brown said. “That’s an issue we have to grapple with … having these community meetings and hearing people talk about their concerns is what can help build accountability into the whole process so that we actually do get something that’s a solution and not something that’s furthering the problem.”
Overall, Brown said he wants the community to know that the Northside Oasis of Wilmington “doesn’t come with any hidden agendas” and that the team is made up of educators, healthcare specialists, and others with interests in sports, fitness and health living.
What are the next steps?
Moving forward in bringing the Optimism Oasis concept to reality, the organization is focused on a three-part process.
“Our very next steps involve continuing to understand what it would take to get full access to the property,” Brown said.
Then, the organization will work to develop a formal concept and pro forma — a process that the founder and concept designer of the project has said is underway.
Howard and the Perkins&Will team have been working on the proof of concept for six months, McCullen said.
In addition, “a preliminary pro forma has been created by Gallagher Design, who will be creating all of the high-tech interactive exhibits educating and inspiring all visitors to live a healthy lifestyle with a positive mindset,” McCullen said in a message to the StarNews. “We are now planning to get a more updated and comprehensive pro forma from Sports Facilities Companies.”
Brown said the organization will assess interest among relevant parties, whether they be developers, individual benefactors, or people with ties to the Northside community.
Currently, no plans for funding are in the pipeline, but Brown said the project will likely be funded by private dollars.
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