We are excited to announce that our application for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant in the amount of $425,000 has been approved.  The application and award process qualify as a reimbursement for the purchase of the Iredell County Recreation Center, acquired in January 2019.  The Iredell County Board of Commissioners agreed to authorize the use of the appraised land value of the Iredell County Recreation Center as the County’s local match to accommodate PARTF Grant protocol.

The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) is a state funded grant program for land acquisition and development of parks. PARTF is the primary source of funding to build and renovate facilities in state and local parks, as well as to buy land for new and existing parks. The PARTF program provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to local governments. Recipients use the grants to acquire land and/or to develop park and recreational projects that serve the public. The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation administers the program, Recreation Resources Services (RRS) provides technical assistance to grantees and those applying for funding.  The Parks and Recreation Authority, a nine member board appointed by the Governor and the General Assembly selects the applicants who will receive a PARTF grant. 

During the 2020 PARTF grant cycle, there were 56 applications submitted by agencies across the state, seeking funding from the PARTF.  On September 18, 2020, selection process awarded 16 grants to local agencies for park projects, totaling $4,985,150. 

This grant is a reimbursement for the property acquisition of the Iredell County Recreation Center, which was funded out of future park funds.  The County plans to reinvest the funds back into Iredell County’s Park Fund. This fund is dedicated to new development and park improvements within the county parks system.  In accordance with the recently adopted Comprehensive Master Plan, Phase 1 development at Jennings Park, located at 141 Deitz Road, Statesville, NC is a project priority.