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Garner buys St. Aug's golf course for future park

The Garner Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase the 121-acre Meadowbrook Country Club from St. Augustine's University for $2.9 million.

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GARNER, N.C. — The Garner Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase the 121-acre Meadowbrook Country Club from St. Augustine's University for $2.9 million.

Officials said they plan to turn the nine-hole golf course, at 8025 Country Club Drive, off White Oak Road, into a park or recreational facility.

"The timing of this opportunity, which comes as we prepare to embark on a long-range planning process for our parks, recreation and open-space needs, is ideal for the town and its citizens," Mayor Ronnie Williams said in a statement.

St. Augustine’s approached Garner officials in the spring about selling the property, which has a tax value of $2,461,472. Town officials saw the deal as an opportunity to acquire a large parcel of land in a key growth area and determined that various playing fields, facilities or amenities could be developed there.

"The town has a strategic objective to spread parks and recreational facilities around Garner, including in those areas that are expected to see fast growth in the next few years," Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director Sonya Shaw said in a statement.

The land is within 2 miles of South Garner High School and planned elementary and middle schools on Bryan Road, as well as two recently approved subdivisions with 300 single-family homes and several existing neighborhoods, officials said.

Garner will use money from its budget to buy the country club and then reimburse the money with a loan that officials said would be paid off through fees collected from developments at the new park.

Town officials have agreed to lease the golf course back to St. Augustine’s until redevelopment plans are made and funding is secured.

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