News

Field of dreams soon to become reality

Aerial photo shows four regulation-size artificial turf soccer fields at Berkeley Park. The sportsplex also includes six tennis courts, a softball field and the historic Berkeley Stadium.

By Bill Moss, Published: February 18, 2026

A decade and a half after Henderson County commissioners began looking seriously at a major soccer complex for kids, the fields are about to move from a dream to reality.

The finished product is getting better all the time.

County commissioners last week voted to spend an additional $2.9 million on some final improvements, including the all-important on-site brick-and-mortar restrooms. The latest appropriation would make the top-of-its class recreation complex even more attractive to hundreds of youth soccer players from near and far.

The carpet that’s down now is a vast expanse of green that will accommodate four regulation-size fields for recreation and competitive soccer.

“The company that manufactured it is about to send their bigwigs out to look at it because I don’t believe there is an example of this large a piece of continuous (latest generation) turf in the state North Carolina today, and that’s something this board should be proud of,” Assistant County Manager Christopher Todd told commissioners last Wednesday during a meeting postponed two days because of the snowstorm.

The Berkeley Park Sports Complex was made possible after Kimberly Clark Corp. conveyed the historic Berkeley Mills baseball stadium and surrounding parkland to the city of Hendersonville, which gave it to the county in a land swap.

Up until last week’s meeting, the county had invested $14.8 million to build the park, including $12.2 million for base construction, $585,000 for six tennis courts, $375,200 for a softball diamond, $975,000 for artificial turf that is safer, cooler and more durable than standard carpet and $633,700 for lighting bases and underground conduit.

“We do have a 12-year warranty on those fields, which is a quite a long time in the artificial turf world,” Todd told commissioners.

Cost mostly covered by grants

The added investment of an additional $3 million commissioners approved on Feb. 4 covers change orders in the site prep cost, rest rooms and a maintenance shed. Lights for nighttime play, at a cost of $1.6 million, are the last remaining major cost not yet funded.

County commission Chair Bill Lapsley noted that the county had used American Rescue Plan Act money to cover most of the cost; in fact, $536,000 in interest on ARP money in the county treasury contributed to the latest $2.9 million appropriation.

“If the board approves this, Henderson County will end up with an approximate $18 million sports complex funded principally by federal grants and other sources,” Lapsley said. “Local taxpayers will be putting up $1.2 million to get an $18 million project.”

Commissioner Michael Edney asked whether Berkeley Stadium, the historic structure where the Industrial League Berkeley Spinners played, would be ready for the city’s minor league baseball team, the Honeycrisps, to play this summer.

“If you all were to take action on this number today, it would include your three buildings, it would include finishing your soccer fields, your softball fields and your tennis courts, and then there would be lighting left,” Todd responded. “And then, in all fairness and transparency, there’s still some work to be done on trying to rehabilitate the baseball field but we are working on that separately within the recreation department” and seeking donations to cover the cost.

Commissioner Rebecca McCall emphasized that the new facilities would be open to the public when not in use by prep sports teams.

“The baseball, the softball and the tennis courts will be utilized by Hendersonville High School but they are not designated specifically for Hendersonville High School,” she said. “They will be open to all of the other schools in the county for their use as well.

“With Hendersonville High School moving over to these tennis courts, that opens up the tennis courts at Jackson Park, which they are currently using,” she said. “Jackson Park is also used by East Henderson because they don’t have tennis courts. But hopefully that can be remedied in the near future. And once all that is accomplished, that would open up more of Jackson Park for our pickleball players.”

Mecca for sports tournaments

From the start of their discussions about a major sports complex, commissioners have endorsed the idea that a high-quality facility with plenty of parking could attract tournaments that bring families from across the state to play, lodge, shop and dine.

“When we build recreation facilities, the first people we hope to always serve are the residents of this county,” Todd said when commissioners raised the topic of out-of-town tournament teams. “That’s the No. 1 goal, and it’s what these facilities are for. With that being said, you have children of this county who travel for these competitions. An opportunity to bring these competitions here is an opportunity for their parents to travel less, for them to travel less.”

Already, word is spreading that Hendersonville will soon open a shining beacon of recreation space, ready to host leagues from far and wide. The county expects to snip the ribbon on the sportsplex in the fall.

Bruce Gilliam, the county’s recreation director, “along with myself, has been getting phone calls from organizations all throughout this state who are very interested in this facility,” Todd said. “It’s not limited to soccer. We’re hearing a great deal from the lacrosse community, which is growing. We’re hearing some from the rugby community which is growing.

“If a sport can be played on a flat, rectangular field,” he added, “we can host them here.”