Business View Magazine | February 2020

211 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020 SANFORD , NORTH CAROL INA have; we already have that interest. So, we see a great opportunity to turn it around and move forward with that project. And we hope it would set a precedent and let the market help dictate further reinvestment in that area.” Meanwhile, Sanford is also intent on taking on a more active role in pursuing the city’s quality of life elements. “We had hired a consultant that told us that we weren’t doing enough to serve our residents with open spaces and passive recreation,” Mann reveals. “We didn’t have enough park space, so we floated a bond referendum that passed some years back, and part of that bond was for city parks and recreation. We were able to collaborate with our county, which deeded over half an existing park within our city limits. We went in and did a $2.3 million renovation and created a huge walking trail, and an incredible, state-of-the-art playground, and one of the better splash pads that I’ve ever seen. The first weekend it opened in late August, we had over 3,000 people in a