Town of Siler City working on Bray Park overhaul

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SILER CITY — Siler City Parks and Recreation Director Joseph Keel is hoping the development and implementation of a master plan for Bray Park will be a game-changer for Siler City and its residents.

The park, located on Alston Bridge Road, already houses several athletic fields. But it also has about 50 acres of undeveloped land attached to it. Keel is working with WithersRavenel, a civil and environmental engineering firm, in conjunction with extensive public input sessions, to develop the master plan at a cost of $39,700.

Keel hopes to have the plan ready to present to Siler City town commissioners for consideration next March.

Though WithersRavenel has created two conceptual drawings thus far, initial designs may change with public input. Two public input hearings have already been held with another slated for Feb. 3 at the Fitts Community Center. Initial drawings show new and improved baseball fields, soccer fields, a fishing pier and a recreation center.

“I’m excited about the Recreation Center,” Keel said. “It would be the central hub for Siler City Parks and Recreation. The department would also be able to offer full day summer camps, exercise classes and other neat programs in the three multipurpose rooms.”

The plan also proposes synthetic turf soccer fields, which Keel notes would “be a great draw for soccer tournaments and allow us to begin offering a soccer league in Siler City.” Keel also said that the baseball complex would allow the town to be the “central baseball hub of Chatham County and bring in tournaments from teams around the state and up and down the east coast.”

“Siler City will have an economic boom once this facility is built.,” Keel said. “Sport tourism is a $15 billion industry that Siler City wants to be a part of.”

Keel hopes that if the town approves the Bray Park Master Plan in March, at which time a preliminary estimate of costs would have been calculated. Keel believes implementation could begin in January 2021, once funding is secure. Keel is planning on applying for a $500,000 PARTF grant for the first phase of the project with a second phase occurring once additional funding is secured.

Since being hired as the Parks and Recreation director, Keel has worked on numerous improvements to Bray Park including the completion of the Aquatic Center, improvements to t-ball fields and working to improve lighting and amenities. The park often hosts baseball tournaments and Keel hopes that, once complete, the town will be able to reap the rewards of a new source of revenue while providing additional recreation services for Siler City residents.

For more information or to provide input on the Bray Park Master Plan, contact Keel at 919-742-2699.

Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.