Grassroots effort in Leland looks to offer alternative to entertainment district

Some 40 years ago in Columbia, Maryland, John Wozniak and his wife went out to dinner before walking over to an amphitheater and experiencing the Baltimore Symphony under the stars.

It’s a night the two haven’t ever forgotten, and one he hopes to replicate soon in Leland.

“My wife and I remember that, sitting there and listening to the beautiful music,” Wozniak said. “What’s wrong with doing that here? Why can’t that happen here?”

Wozniak has now been a resident of Leland’s Magnolia Greens neighborhood for about five years. He and a group of 13 other volunteers are behind a conceptual proposal for Leland Central Park, a multi-purpose park that would serve as an alternative, smaller version of previously proposed entertainment and commercial options for Leland – namely the now tabled minor league baseball stadium and entertainment center.

Conceptual plans for the park – solicited and paid for exclusively by the grassroots group, not the town of Leland – outline a 110-acre multi-purpose park that would sit inside a 1.5-mile roundabout and feature a greenspace with walking trails, a recreational area with basketball and pickleball courts, a 1,700-seat amphitheater and a commercial district with dining and retail options.

“Leland is growing at such a tremendous rate that eventually it’s just going to be wall-to-wall people and burger joints,” Wozniak said. “Now’s the time to think about it.”

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At this point, Wozniak said, the plans are purely conceptual. The group would not privately develop this project, but instead hopes to gather feedback from the community and eventually present the concept to Leland Town Council. From there, council could determine whether or not to seek funding for such a project by way of a bond referendum on a ballot.

Ultimately, the decision would be in the hands of the taxpayers.

Wozniak said the idea was sparked following the community’s response to the earlier presented – and now tabled – effort to bring a minor league baseball stadium and adjacent multi-use development to Leland.

In July 2022, REV Entertainment approached the town and Brunswick County with a proposal to develop 1,400 acres of land along U.S. 17 near Leland into a multi-use development complete with a ballpark and entertainment complex, as well as housing, retail, office and restaurant space. Ultimately, the county decided against participating in the effort, but the town remained in discussion with REV, funding an economic feasibility study on the topic.

The resident response to the proposal was largely negative, with community members voicing concerns about added traffic, noise and growth in the town. In January 2024, the town announced it had paused conversations with REV regarding the development .

With Leland Central Park, or something like it, Wozniak and the rest of the grassroots group hope to satisfy the town’s desire for an entertainment and recreation district on a much smaller scale than the stadium project.

Wozniak and the volunteer group have begun what they hope will be a series of presentations around town regarding the project. The first was held in mid-June at Brunswick Beer and Cider. The group presented their concept, took questions and ultimately asked attendees to participate in a questionnaire.

While it was a very small sample size with about 62 returned questionnaires, Wozniak said the response was largely supportive – with 86% indicating they would support the concept.

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Some residents voiced concerns over added traffic and noise.

Many of Leland’s other communities are represented by the volunteer group, which touts members from Brunswick Forest, Waterford and Mallory Creek.

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Grassroots effort in Leland looks to offer alternative to entertainment district