Apology: Factory ball fields have not been sold

I, Gazette editor Carol Pelosi, was wrong last week in publishing an article which said the Factory ballfields on Grandmark Street had been sold. They have not been sold, nor are they for sale. Instead the North Wake County Baseball Association, organized in 1975 and since 2006 using the Factory ball fields for their games and practice, signed a new lease on Feb. 10 for use of the complex through Dec. 1, 2024.

Mike Emmert, president of the NWCBA Board of Directors, said Commissioner Jim Dyer’s information about the ball fields was correct at the time because the baseball association had not reached agreement with the Factory owners, The MacSydney Company II and Phylesther II, and were looking for alternative property for ball fields. The information was six months old, Emmert said.

“Having a location secured allows us to invest operating expenses into the improvement of fields and facilities to provide the best player experience possible,” Emmert said.

The board’s vice president, Jason Morrow added, “North Wake is the premier youth baseball program in a broad geographical area. It is our goal to offer a consistent location, improvements, and instruction to develop young players with life skills. The Factory Baseball Complex is home, and we are excited to offer all of this, at this location, to our families for the foreseeable future.”

In the early 2000s, Jeff Ammons purchased the former Athey Streetsweeper factory and renovated the building to provide, in his words, “A playground for children and adults in Wake Forest, NC.” The Factory included an ice-skating rink and indoor soccer field among businesses related to recreation. Located at 1845 Grandmark Street, Wake Forest, The Factory Baseball Complex was added adjacent to The Factory in 2004 with a county grant of $1.5 million.

The Factory Baseball Complex has six full baseball fields and also includes a fieldhouse featuring a lower-level concession stand, equipment garage, and pavilion. Upstairs, the centrally located building has multiple offices and scorer stations. An enclosed ticket booth sits at the gated entrance to the park.

The North Wake County Baseball Association is a not-for-profit organization that supports the development and growth of youth baseball players, ranging from 5 years old through 15 years of age through league play and travel ball. Their mission is to provide outstanding baseball programs where young players improve their skills and overall fundamentals of competitive play.

NWCBA serves over 500 players and their families during each of the annual spring and fall seasons in addition to hosting 25+ USSSA travel ball tournaments annually welcoming approximately 75,000 total attendees.

Formally established in 1979, NWCBA continues to be governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and relies on volunteer commissioners and coaches. The association is located at The Factory Baseball Complex, 1845 Grandmark St., Wake Forest, NC 27587.

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