Woolpert Contracted to Plan, Design Northwest Concord (N.C.) Community Park

Woolpert has been contracted by the city of Concord, N.C., to provide park master planning, conceptual design, and engineering and architecture services for its new 28.6-acre Northwest Concord Community Park. The park site is at 1252 Cox Mill Road in Concord, adjacent to Cox Mill Elementary School and across the street from Cox Mill High School.

Woolpert Project Manager and Landscape Architect Katie Thayer said this project is a priority for the growing city, which is a northwest suburb of Charlotte and has a population of just under 100,000. The new park is near the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in North Carolina.

“This is a growing and beautiful region of the city with a great need for a community park,” Thayer said. “The city is investing in the region by providing this recreation destination that will offer the amenities their residents desire. It will be a fantastic asset for the community.”

Woolpert will conduct a site evaluation, outline options for the park and solicit feedback from the community through a communications committee, focus groups and general public outreach. Amenities for the park will be determined by the public. Those likely to be explored may include sports fields and courts, a dog park, a splash pad, disc golf, a recreation center, a community room/meeting space, walking trails, boardwalks and defined green space. An online survey will likely accompany the public meetings.

“We want everyone to feel welcome so they can help shape this versatile, multigenerational park,” Thayer said. “The answers we get are the exciting unknowns, and we’re very interested in hearing what the community wants.”

Concord Parks and Recreation Senior Planner Jason Pauling said Woolpert was selected for this project due to its comprehensive portfolio and experience conducting projects from planning through permitting, design and construction. Woolpert also designed the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews, N.C., and the Manchester Meadows Soccer Complex in Rock Hill, S.C.

“Woolpert had the highest marks on previous project experience, which was the main determining factor in choosing them,” Pauling said. “We’re excited to be able to work with Woolpert and to provide this outstanding resource for our community.”

This project is now underway.