Greensboro City Council reviews recommendations to better fund parks and recreation facilities

A presentation on the state of Greensboro's parks and greenways showed the city is facing more than $280 million in unfunded capital needs.

Parks and Recreation Director Phil Fleischmann said in a city council work session Thursday that staff identified the most urgent needs, which come with an estimated cost of $9.8 million. He says if not addressed it could lead to facilities closing.

"It may result in the loss of community access, or desirability for our community members to participate in really high quality experiences and more," Fleischmann said.

The list includes items such as greenway improvements and playground replacements. Fleischmann said the city council also needs to budget remediation costs for Bingham Park. According to the presentation, it's recommended the city allocate $2.5 million per fiscal year, and increase rental fees for its facilities to address urgent projects.

Councilmember Hugh Holston said it's important to remember the list is just one piece of what needs to be addressed.

"We can sometimes get comfortable looking at just $10 million as if it's going to solve it," he said. "But it's the $280 million nut that we have to crack."

Holston said the city council can't ignore the larger need.