quality of life

downtown

Downtown Holly Springs is located in the area surrounding Town Hall and is adjacent to the Leslie-Alford-Mims property, the historical center of Holly Springs. The Mims property, consisting of a 38-room mansion (c. 1840) and the original Springs (from which the town gets its name), is the cornerstone of downtown Holly Springs.

The Town Center master plan, envisioned by town leaders and designed by M. Joseph Hakan, features mixed use development designed to resemble a traditional turn-of-the-century southern downtown. The plan is now coming to fruition, evidenced by recent development activity. New commercial buildings are home to several small businesses and the proposed Mims Towne Square will offer space for a restaurant, retail stores and offices. Concurrently, design work for renovations to Town Hall will begin in 2001 that will give Town Hall a facelift and provide space for additional town services.

These activities serve to support the rapid growth of the community as well as improving the appearance of town and furthering the vision of the 1998 Ten-Year Comprehensive Growth Plan: "To foster, maintain and enhance a village atmosphere that evokes a sense of place."

education

Wake County Public School System
3600 Wake Forest Road
P. O. Box 28041
Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 850-1700
http://www.wcpss.net/

The Wake County Public School System currently serves over 90,000 children and is one of the fastest growing districts in the nation with roughly 5,000 additional children entering the system each year. The mission of the WCPSS is to educate all students to become productive citizens who can effectively manage future challenges.

Holly Springs has two public elementary schools and one public middle school that are part of the Wake county Public School System. A public high school is scheduled to open for the 2006-2007 school year. Click here for more information on Holly Springs schools.

parks & recreation

The Town's Parks and Recreation program was established in 1996 when a $2 million Parks and Recreation bond passed, the Town hired full time staff and an abandoned school was purchased from the Wake County School System. Named after a dedicated former principal, the W.E. Hunt Community Center houses recreation programs, a summer day camp, an after-school program for middle school aged children and other services.

Adjacent to the W. E. Hunt Community Center in Parrish Womble Park. The 46-acre site was purchased in 1997 and Phase I of development is complete with volleyball courts and a multi-age playground already in place as well as two lighted baseball/softball fields and multiple soccer fields. Picnic shelters and an outdoor stage are also planned for the park. The stage will host a variety of cultural and musical events throughout the year including the Town's annual Labor Day Festival.

Additionally, the Town owns 20 acres adjacent to the Holly Springs Elementary School. It is expected that the town will join Wake County in developing an environmental and educational school park to compliment school activities and increase recreation opportunities for the community. A master plan will be developed this year for this park.

The town has acquired a portion of the Harry J. Cornell Estate known as Bass Lake that was destroyed when Hurricane Fran breached the dam in 1996. The town is in process of restoring the 80-acre lake and dam to provide passive water based leisure opportunities to its residents and surrounding communities. This project should be complete in late 2002.

The opportunity for leisure activities is on the rise in Holly Springs through athletics, special interest classes, camps, and other cultural events. A master greenway plan exist that will connect the Holly Springs park system to the new 600 acre County Park at Harris Lake and other areas.

For information on adult and youth athletics, special interest programs, and facility rentals, contact the Parks & Recreation Office at (919) 557-3930, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

health care

local events

When a town boasts of a name like "Holly Springs", what would be more appropriate than for it to host an annual "Happy Holly Days" Parade? The tradition began in 1995 with parade entries including a variety of homemade floats, middle and high school marching bands, pipe and drum corps and even Santa Claus. Children of all ages enjoy this annual event. The Happy Holly Days Parade is held on the second Saturday in December.

The Labor Day Festival has grown from a picnic prepared by the Town Commissioners to a large festival for residents and out of town visitors.

Under the direction of the Parks & Recreation Department, this festival is a huge success. Families from all over town show up with strollers, blankets and the kids in tow to see the "Embers", North Carolinas favorite source of beach music, and many other musical groups. There are kiddy rides, dunking booths, and other attractions to keep the festival goers busy. At dusk, an awesome display of fireworks lights up the skies over Holly Springs. It is a wonderful day filled with quality family entertainment, neighbors visiting with neighbors, and the feeling of being at home in a small town.

Holly Springs Economic Development ~ 128 S. Main St. ~ PO Box 8 ~ Holly Springs, NC 27540
(919) 557-3923