Milwaukee Journal Sentinel—Representatives from the Milwaukee Brewers were on hand Thursday in Wilson, North Carolina, attending the new-stadium groundbreaking for the Carolina Mudcats, the Brewers’ Class A minor-league affiliate.
Expected to be complete for the 2026 season, the new home for the Mudcats sits roughly 25 miles southeast of the team’s current home in Zebulon, where the team plays at Five County Stadium, built in 1991. Zebulon has seen a spike in population in recent years but remains a town of fewer than 9,000 people, while Wilson is home to more than 47,000.
The city council of Wilson approved measures in December that would lay the groundwork for the move, which includes the $63.6 million stadium and a downtown entertainment complex that would include a 100-room hotel, multifamily housing and commercial development, an entire project valued at $280 million.
The city expects to issue nearly $70 million in low-interest, tax-exempt bonds and would pursue $7 million in grants to assist with infrastructure costs. The Mudcats would enter into a 25-year lease to use the stadium, and the city expects to recoup costs through the development around the ballpark and its related property and sales taxes.
Stadium capacity will reach approximately 5,000.
Brewers general manager Matt Arnold and team president of business operations Rick Schlesinger were among those on hand for the groundbreaking.
