Parks and recreation director Jeff Pulaski updated the Board of Commissioners on plans for the Wendell Athletic Field Complex, a multi‑field sports venue the town says will host local and regional tournaments and tie into existing recreational infrastructure.

The project is notable for its scale and potential to draw visitors: the town described a total project budget of about $13 million, including $1.8 million in Wake County tourism funds and $11.2 million in town bond funding approved by voters. The plan calls for five fields — a natural turf football field for the Wendell Rams, a natural practice field, and three synthetic turf multipurpose fields — and a connection to the Buffalo Creek Greenway.

Pulaski said CHA Consulting is preparing construction documents and that the North Carolina Football Club (NCFC) has agreed to pay for lighting the three synthetic turf fields; the town will own the property and infrastructure while NCFC would reimburse the town for lighting expenses under a usage agreement. The town is working to acquire two adjacent tracks of land (referred to as Track 1 and Track 2) from Wake County and anticipates final design bidding in 2025 with construction to begin in early 2026.

Site plans discussed by staff show parking, a storage building and food‑truck connections; staff said NCFC typically prefers food trucks to running concession stands. Pulaski also said the design accommodates storage comparable to what the Wendell Rams have now so teams can avoid storing equipment offsite.

Commissioners asked for clarification about the design and ownership of lighting and storage; Pulaski said the town retains ownership of property and major infrastructure. Staff said permitting and final design are underway and reiterated the anticipated timetable: final design and bidding in 2025 and construction beginning in early 2026.

Pulaski said the complex is intended to host youth and adult sports — soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and football — and to create economic benefit by enabling the town to host larger tournaments. He invited follow‑up questions and said staff will proceed with design refinements and acquisition work with Wake County.