UPDATE:
The city of Wilmington has almost completed plans to transform the defunct Inland Greens golf course into a park for residents and nine holes for golfers.
The city purchased the golf course for $500,000 as part of its plan to add more parks in the 1995 annexation area.
Click here to read the story published May 29, 2012.
EARLIER ANSWER:
The city of Wilmington is still negotiating with the owners of Inland Greens Golf Course to purchase the property, City Manager Sterling Cheatham said in January 2011.
The city council agreed in March 2010 to authorize Cheatham to make a $550,000 offer to Flagstaff Holding LLC for the approximately 31 acres. But the two parties have yet to reach an agreement.
“We’re still interested,” Cheatham said, adding that the city has had recent conversations with the property owner and is trying to evaluate what would be a fair price.
The city plans to maintain nine holes of the 18-hole course as a golf course and use the rest of the property as a passive park, which will eventually include a connection with the Cross-City Trail, a walking and biking path that winds through the city.
The funds would come from the voter-approved 2006 parks bond referendum.
The city has been searching for available land for a park in areas it annexed in the 1990s.The property is located at 5945 Inland Greens Drive, Wilmington [Map this], off of Cardinal Drive.
Related links:
City defends golf course purchase
Wilmington council votes to purchase Inland Greens
Will the city reopen Chester Street from Cardinal Drive to St. Nicholas Road?
Date posted: January 5, 2011
User-contributed question by:
Bill Tracy
Every time I see a report that says “we will keep 9 holes of the 18 holes open and use the rest as park” I see red. There ARE ONLY 9 HOLES AT INLAND GREENS!! Nothing left for a park! Do they not even know what they are buying???? With the projected budget shortfall ( I hate the word projected because it casts some doubt on the fact that there WILL BE A SHORTFALL) this whole idea should be scrapped.
Actually, there are 18 holes at inland greens JT. Clearly they know more about what they are buying than you do. They closed the back 9 years ago. Only the front 9 are playable now. If you look on google earth pictures you can see the front and back 9 holes. Just a little FYI before you go post something else you don’t have a clue about.