April 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 22

Research Update
Creative Strategies for Financing
Parks and Recreation
By Donald L. Rockey Jr., Robert Barcelona, Bob Brookover, Dustin Thorn and Dominic Saturday

R

ecent economic hardships have brought about financial challenges for many government-sponsored programs, including parks and
recreation. One of the oft-repeated concerns expressed by park and
recreation administrators is the availability of sufficient financial
resources for operational and capital expenses. Thus, agencies have had to become more creative and entrepreneurial when delivering services and providing
facilities for an increasingly diverse and demanding constituency. The purpose
of this article is to explore strategies for creative financing among exemplary
park and recreation agencies as identified by the South Carolina Recreation
and Parks Association.
While there are numerous examples of the impact of economic
hardships on park and recreation
departments, there are also illustrative success stories of departments
that are thriving. One such story is
the Rock Hill, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and

Tourism. In 2011, at the height of
the economic downturn, Rock Hill
embarked on the development of
an $11 million outdoor center, including a 250-acre park with a cycling velodrome, BMX/supercross,
cyclocross and mountain biking
trails. This specialized complex has

allowed Rock Hill to carve a niche
in attracting sports-based tourism
events. Another example of growth
among parks and recreation agencies is the city of North Myrtle
Beach Parks and Recreation Department's completion of a $15 million
sport tourism and recreation park.
These financial ventures were
made possible by agencies finding creative means to finance the
projects. For example, Rock Hill's
outdoor center provides a complex
example of diversification by leveraging multiple financing mechanisms, including hospitality taxes,
sponsorships and federally backed
private loans. The unique and creative aspect of this project was Rock
Hill's use of the New Markets Tax
Credits and stimulus fund monies.
This diversified financing approach
allowed the city to extend the scope
of the project by adding features
and amenities for approximately the
same financial investment as the velodrome alone would have cost.
Significance
While specific success stories highlight how individual agencies have
found ways to finance park and
recreation programs and facilities,
there is very little research that
has explored the best practices of
these agencies. Most of the existing research has examined public
opinions of financing strategies,
with some researchers suggesting
government-sponsored park and
recreation providers should strive
to maintain or improve constituent

20	 Parks & Recreation

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April 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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