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Tradition developer gives $2.5 million to build Hardeeville sports complex

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HARDEEVILLE -- Tradition Hilton Head announced Monday that it is giving Hardeeville $2.5 million for a sports complex years ahead of schedule.

The contribution will allow the 75-acre complex to be finished by August, Hardeeville Mayor Rodney Cannon said at a news conference.

While the dollar figure was negotiated with Tradition developer Core Communities as part of its original development agreement, the company made the money available four to five years sooner than required by the agreement.

Cannon said the gesture shows Tradition is dedicated to the community.

The sports complex, which will be built behind Hardeeville City Hall on Main Street, will have four baseball fields, a football field, tennis and basketball courts, a locker room and a concession stand.

City Councilman Earl Cooler said the new park showed how far Hardeeville has come since the days when he played baseball as a Hardeeville high-schooler five decades ago.

"Fifty or 60 years ago I had no idea this would ever happen," said Cooler. "Back in those days we were struggling just to get a baseball bat and glove.

"Now today, (to see) $2.5 million to upgrade our facilities. It's amazing."

Mayor Pro Tem Brooks Willis said the new complex would attract statewide sports tournaments and the tourism dollars associated with them.

David Page, president of Tradition, said the ballfields would be a boost for the city's younger residents.

While Tradition is expected to attract mostly retirees, Page said its long-term success rests with the success of Hardeeville.

"For a community to be vibrant you have to have people of all ages," Page said. "What this does in a very concrete way is show the people of Hardeeville that we are part of the community."

Cannon said the contribution also demonstrated the economic strength of Core Communities.

While the national real estate market is taking a hit from a slowing economy, Page said he believes the situation is different locally.

"What I am seeing is ... things are pretty good overall in this area," he said. "I am seeing a buying public out there that has the capability of buying, the desire to buy and they want to be in our location, so I'm very upbeat."

Core Communities is a subsidiary of Levitt Corp. Another Levitt Corp. subsidiary, which had been scheduled to build a small percentage of Tradition's homes, declared bankruptcy recently.

Page re-emphasized that Core Communities is completely separate from that subsidiary and is doing well.

"We're very financially healthy," he said.

Tradition sits on 5,300 acres along U.S. 278 in Hardeeville and is planned for 9,500 homes.

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