Cornelius Receives Grant for Parkland on Bailey Road

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The Town of Cornelius has been awarded a $500,000 state grant to help offset the cost of acquiring 37 acres of future parkland north of Bailey Road.

The grant was awarded through the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, which provides funding for land acquisition and park development projects.

The property, which the town purchased earlier this year for about $962,000, was identified as a priority in the town’s 2024 Parks and Greenways Master Plan and was among the projects included in the $20 million parks bond referendum approved by voters in 2024.

The Town Board authorized the purchase at its March 2 meeting.

The mostly wooded property includes several creeks and provides opportunities for natural open space and passive recreation. It is immediately adjacent to 36.18 acres the town purchased in 2025, creating a contiguous 73-acre area of town-owned land for future park development.

The earlier property had been proposed as the site of a commercial development that generated significant opposition from nearby residents. The town ultimately rejected the development before purchasing the property.

The 2024 parks master plan calls for two large parks of roughly 100 acres or more in the general areas north and south of Bailey Road.

Although Cornelius had already completed the 37-acre acquisition, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund allows municipalities to apply retroactively for eligible land purchases. The flexibility is particularly useful for land acquisitions because opportunities to purchase property can be time-sensitive and may not remain available while a grant application is pending.

Cornelius’ application ranked first among the projects considered during the competitive PARTF review process.

The $500,000 grant effectively reduces the town’s cost of the property and allows those allocated funds to return to the $20 million parks bond investment approved by voters.

Town officials previously said the land purchase could ultimately be reimbursed with proceeds from the parks bonds. The town is scheduled to issue the first of three park bonds in 2027.