Carolina Mudcats moving to new stadium in Wilson
The Carolina Mudcats will soon move to a new stadium in Wilson.
City leaders voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a $69 million plan to build a new ballpark for the team near Whirligig Park.
Wilson plans to have the new stadium ready for the team by opening day of the 2026 season.
The ballpark will be part of a sprawling new entertainment complex in the city.
The Mudcats have called Five County Stadium in Zebulon their home since 1991.
In a public hearing, the Wilson City Council considered multiple proposals that would ultimately redevelop its downtown and build a new stadium to host the Mudcats.
The proposals include a brand-new stadium for the Mudcats. Along with it would come a private investment in downtown development, including apartments and townhomes, retail space and a hotel with at least 80 rooms.
The total public and private investment is more than $280 million. The project will cost the city about $69 million.
The Mudcats’ potential new home would be able to accommodate up to 4,500 people. That’s about 2,000 fewer than Five County Stadium in Zebulon, where the Mudcats have played since 1991. There was previous discussion about the need to improve and renovate the stadium in order to meet Major League Baseball’s standards.
“What we don't see is the fighting, in my opinion for the east side of the county,” said Wendell Mayor Pro Tem Jason Joyner.
Joyner said he grew up watching Mudcats games in Wake County. He criticized Wake County leaders, saying they’re "watching it happen."
“It has felt like the slowest robbery I have ever seen,” Joyner said.
Wake County Commissioner Don Mial represents the eastern part of the county. He said the county has been in negotiations with the Brewers.
“We want the Mudcats to stay; we’ve done everything we can to keep the Mudcats,” Mial said. “The problem is, from what we’ve been able to surmise, they want a new stadium built. We’d be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $80-90 million. The county, at this particular time, we just don’t have those kinds of funds.”
Taylor and her husband Angelo Carlone own the Corner Deli in downtown Wilson. She said she is excited for the new development.
“Downtown wasn’t a thing when I was growing up … It’ll give people more of a reason to come downtown,” she said. “I know a lot of people may be against it right now, but all things start somewhere.”
Even within Wilson, some people are split. Some are worried about how it might affect the city’s small-town feel and the future of its prominent amateur team: the Wilson Tobs.
On the website, the Tobs team posted a list of questions regarding to the proposal:
“The following are questions & areas of discussion that, from the perspective of Wilson’s team since 1908, should be brought to the table," the website reads.
- With the Wilson Tobs track record & formula for success, as both a baseball entity and sporting event facilitator, why are the Tobs not being considered as the new stadium’s primary tenant?
- Why would the City of Wilson want to invest in a neighboring product, which has underperformed less than 25 miles away, to anchor its downtown revitalization effort?
- Because a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) has been in place for over 15 months with no communication between city management/elected officials and the Wilson Tobs, what ‘fan’ data did the City of Wilson use to support their feasibility study & economic impact analysis to justify building a 75+ million dollar stadium for a team who Wilson residents have consistently ignored?
- What additional community sports programing will the Mudcats facilitate and bring to Wilson? There have no track record of event coordination in Zebulon?
- How will the city pay the stadium note during construction and during the first few years of operation when development efforts have not produced additional property tax revenue?
- Why is the city getting involved in restrain of trade and choosing one sports business over another?
"In short, the Wilson Tobs want to be the Hometown Team and anchor the revitalization of downtown at Wilson’s new stadium," the team site states. "We relish the opportunity to grow our wide range of sporting events in a ‘right-sized’ ballpark that compliments Wilson’s emerging market and stages it for success.”
While Joyner said he feels betrayed by the Brewers organization, he said he ultimately wants to see the success of the stadium.
“What I don't want to see is, 'We don't need to do anything to that stadium, because we don't have a team in it currently,” he said.
Mial said he realizes that the team’s potential deal in Wilson could cause economic concern for the eastern part of the county. He said the county would have to work with the town of Zebulon to discuss how to use the stadium if the Mudcats leave.
