The first season of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (High A; Carolina League) at Segra Stadium was a success for downtown businesses, who are reporting an uptick in activity since the ballpark’s opening.
Opening in April as the new home of the Woodpeckers, Segra Stadium is located at the edge of downtown and was planned by Fayetteville officials as an anchor for a larger downtown redevelopment initiative. Some new development will be taking shape down the road, but the ballpark has already been reported to have a positive effect on the downtown area’s economy.
Downtown business owners have reported an uptick in foot traffic and economic activity since Segra Stadium’s opening, with fans taking in the area’s offerings as they visit the ballpark. It is this type of activity that officials in the local business community believe will be a long-term trend because of Segra Stadium. More from ABC11.com:
Paco Gonzalez is one of the owners of a t-shirt print shop “Yellow Crayons”. He and his other business partner can attest to the increase in foot traffic they’ve seen all baseball season.
“They’ll park, I’m talking about a half mile down and then you get them all walking past here. The thing is they love to stop and shop and check out the shops,” Gonzalez said….
Robert Van Geons, the President and CEO of Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation (FCCEDC), says the addition of the stadium will have longtime effects.
“This is without a doubt one of the most prominent investments that have been made in our community in a number of years,” Van Geons said.
Owned by the Houston Astros, the Woodpeckers arrived in Fayetteville this spring after playing the 2017 and 2018 seasons as the Buies Creek Astros at Campbell University’s Jim Perry Stadium. The franchise is Fayetteville’s first affiliated Minor League Baseball team since the Cape Fear Crocs (Low A; Sally League) relocated to Lakewood, NJ following the 2000 season.
RELATED STORIES: New Fayetteville Ballpark-Area Development Moves Forward; Modern Meets Traditional at New Segra Stadium