Southern Pines has received national recognition for developing the Morganton Road Sports Complex.

Last month, American City and County Magazine recognized the town as one of “America’s Crown Communities.” The magazine designates the honor annually for excellence and innovation in local government.

The magazine noted the unique way the town developed a flat site for the complex. Two local developers, a company that built the Lowe’s Store and First Health Moore Regional Hospital, which was undergoing a major expansion, provided free fill dirt and grading services.

“Reclaiming what was an old, unusable site and turning it into a viable community asset, along with the innovative public-private approach to raise the funds to construct the 16-acre development were key factors in our department winning the award,” said David White, the town’s parks and recreation director.

Work on the sports complex is nearly complete. The fields must be seeded before the three soccer and combination soccer-softball fields can be used, Town Manager Kyle Sonnenberg said.

The backstop, parking lot and most of the equipment is already installed, but bleachers, three water fountains and some of the landscaping still must be completed, White said. “We’re shooting for next fall to be able to open it for play,” he said.

The private donations to help turn what was once the town garbage dump saved Southern Pines about $600,000, which is what it would have cost to purchase soil and have the site graded. It also kept the fill material out of the county’s landfill, the magazine noted.

The total budget for complex, including equipment and bleachers, is $695,184. The town budgeted $567,346, but received a $63,919 grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. It also raised $100,000 in private donations, including the Sandhills Youth Soccer League, garden and civic clubs, local businesses, and individuals. To date, about 92 percent, or $92,000 in cash has been raised, White told The Pilot.

White also praised the town’s public works construction inspector, Rocky Davis, for “always (being) on the lookout for more dirt from other construction sites. He also oversaw a lot of the initial placement and grading of the fill material. We could not have accomplished the project without him.”

Mayor Frank Quis said, “recreational, social and economic benefits that the Morganton Road Sports Complex will provide are numerous. In addition, the immediate improvement to the aesthetics of the Morganton Road corridor was outstanding. The Town of Southern Pines appreciates the community support this project received.”