Come Play at the Park! The City of Shelby celebrated the dedication of the new Recreation and Sports Complex located at Shelby City Park. The new complex is located on 48 acres of land donated by the Royster Family in 2004 and can be accessed by entering Hartley Drive in to the Shelby City Park at 850 W. Sumter Street.
The Recreation and Sports complex consists of 3 championship caliber baseball/softball fields for all ages, paved walking tracks, playground and shelter, horseshoe pits, landscaped trees and paved parking. Everything except the ball fields will be open for public use after the dedication. The ball fields will open in the spring of 2012.
The new Athletic Fields will greatly enhance the City’s youth baseball and girls’ softball leagues consisting of over 800 participants. The facilities will also greatly boost Travel and Tourism in our area by playing host to State and Regional Tournaments that will fill the County’s motels and restaurants with visitors.
This project, City Park Enhancement Project Phase I, cost $1,306,000 which was funded with a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and $806,000 accumulated over the past 5 year from the City of Shelby capital reserve fund. The project is the first of the City’s comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
The City of Shelby is proud to have such a wonderful improvement of our City Park facilities.    –Provided By Carol Appling