This grant funded Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park to add an Outdoor Pavilion and Education Center. Sylvan Heights was a significant economic driver for the small, rural community of Scotland Neck, generating an estimated annual economic impact of $2 million. The park saw a 66% increase in annual visitations over the five years immediately prior to the project, serving 55,000 visitors in 2017. Sylvan Heights saw the opportunity to take advantage of the demand to host more and larger school and private events. However, the Park only had space for events of up to 100 people. The addition of the new outdoor pavilion tripled that capacity. It was anticipated that local businesses such as restaurants, caterers, and hotels could benefit from this expansion, generating a combined $165,000 annually in direct revenues associated with this expansion project. Golden LEAF funds were used for site preparation and construction.
