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Smithfield asks Johnston County for $2 million to help build minor‑league ballpark
Summary
Smithfield officials asked the Johnston County Board of Commissioners to consider a $2 million contribution (split $1 million this fiscal year and $1 million next year) to help build a stadium for the “Tops” baseball team at Community Park; county action was deferred to the evening meeting for decision.
Smithfield Town Manager Mike Scott asked the Johnston County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6 to partner with the town and provide $2,000,000 toward a new ballpark and related infrastructure at Community Park.
The town has allocated $3,000,000 and is offering the land at Community Park, Scott said, and the stadium would be owned and maintained by the town. Scott told commissioners the county contribution would be split as $1,000,000 in the current fiscal year and $1,000,000 in the next fiscal year.
Greg Sweare, who identified himself as the president of the Tops, described the team’s calendar and community programming and said the venue would host college, high‑school and amateur events year‑round. “We want to be an economic generator for you by being a destination,” Sweare told the board, listing tournaments, high‑school showcases and community events the team runs in its current home city.
Scott said the site identified would be across Buffalo Road from the middle school and that the town has met with design‑build firms; he described projected economic benefits based on figures supplied by the City of Wilson’s experience with the Tops. Scott said the stadium would seat a minimum of 1,500 people, possibly up to 1,800 depending on final design.
Commissioners asked procedural and scope questions, including whether the town would retain responsibility for operations and maintenance; Scott replied that the venue would be town‑owned and town‑maintained and that the county funds would “go towards physical infrastructure” of the stadium rather than to the design‑build contract or ancillary operating costs.
Rather than take a funding vote at the morning session, a commissioner moved to add the town’s funding request to the evening agenda so the full board could decide after additional review and conversation. The board agreed to consider the funding request at its evening meeting.
If approved later, Scott said, the town intends to move quickly with a selected design‑builder and begin site work; he noted phasing was possible depending on financing and that some field equipment the team uses is mobile and could shorten construction time.
Provenance: Smithfield presentation and funding request began with Scott’s presentation at 19:52 and continued through discussion and the request to add the item to the evening agenda at about 37:00 in the transcript.
