This section offers Cary citizens an update on the projects funded by the Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Parks and Transportation Bonds overwhelmingly approved in a 2019 referendum.

Downtown Park Project Nears End of Design 

The final design of the Downtown Park is nearly complete. Nineteen years in the making, the park will total seven acres and will be centrally located in downtown Cary surrounded by Walker, Academy, Park and Walnut streets. The park will feature a “great lawn” and a unique, tiered water feature. The lawn will be fronted by a pavilion and surrounded by a series of unique spaces, or “rooms,” linked by paved walking trails. Additional features include performance places, market spaces, public art incorporated into the landscape, food and beverage facilities, a children’s play area, interactive water features, a dog play area and walkways for strolling and relaxing. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2021 with an opening date of 2023.

Carpenter Fire Station Road and McCrimmon Parkway Neighborhood Parks

Design for Carpenter Fire Station Road Neighborhood Park is well underway with an anticipated construction start date of 2022. The master plan for this 20.8-acre park creates a vibrant and lively space within a wooded setting, offering play opportunities for everyone. A wide, wooded buffer of existing and planted trees along the borders of the park will provide an attractive environment for park visitors, while the forested slopes at the southern edge of the park offer opportunities for enjoyment of nature as well as protection of water quality in Panther Creek.

Design for McCrimmon Parkway Neighborhood Park is in progress with construction anticipated to begin in 2022. The 20-acre park’s rolling topography, mature tree canopy and existing creeks provide the opportunity to integrate park features within this natural setting. The park will feature tennis and pickleball courts, a community garden, playground and public art.

Annie Jones Park and Dunham Park Tennis Court Replacement 

Annie Jones Park and Dunham Park remain in the design phase for court improvements. The existing tennis courts at both parks will be replaced with an additional tennis court added at Dunham Park. Court lights will also be upgraded at both parks and parking lot improvements made at Annie Jones Park. These projects were submitted to Cary’s Development Review Committee and to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Erosion Control Office for permitting.

Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. This year, in observance of Juneteenth, the fountain in Cary’s Downtown Park was lit in red, yellow and green to honor the heritage and meaning of the day. These colors, in addition to black, all carry significant meaning on this day: red represents the noble blood that unites all people of African ancestry, the color black for the people, green for the rich land of Africa, and yellow joins these colors on the traditional flag of Ethiopia, which has influenced the flags of many 
pan-African organizations. 

In June, a contractor working on behalf of the Town converted two of WakeMed’s eight fields to artificial turf. The fields were completed prior to the two weeks of rain that would have otherwise curbed practice for the Carolina Courage and North Carolina Football Club. Additional field lights were also added. Both of these improvements allow for increased scheduling flexibility and playtime for area sports groups at WakeMed Soccer Park.

As the facility continues to host major U.S. Tennis Association and collegiate tournaments, spectator seating has become a constraint. Utilizing Wake County Room Occupancy and Prepared Food Tax interlocal funding, Cary installed 568 fixed seats on three sides of the stadium court. A majority of these new, fixed seats with backrests were installed on the existing east and west concrete bleachers. An elevated viewing platform with 54 seats was also installed overlooking the south side of the court. 

As identified in Cary’s ADA Transition Plan, the comfort station restroom entrances and fixtures at Bond Park did not meet accessibility requirements. Based on current accessibility space requirements, the existing bathrooms could not be renovated to meet accessibility code compliance without either increasing the facility footprint, renovating the entire facility, or decreasing the number of fixtures in each restroom. Instead, Cary renovated the existing concessions space at Bond Park into two accessible family restrooms. In addition to the new restrooms, staff updated all plumbing fixtures and replaced all asphalt sidewalks leading from adjacent ballfields and parking lots with new concrete sidewalks to improve accessibility to the facility. 

As part of an agreement, Wake County is slated to provide $3 million annually to Cary for 20 years to use for maintenance of Cary Tennis Park, USA Baseball National Training Complex and WakeMed Soccer Park. FY 2020 is the first year of major maintenance projects to be completed under this agreement, including:

• Twelve courts resurfaced and elevator modernization at Cary Tennis Park.
• Main building renovation, digital scoreboards, speaker system replacement, field renovations and more at USA Baseball National Training Complex.
• Field renovation, fencing repairs, stand renovations, video equipment replacement and more at WakeMed Soccer Park.

To enhance amenities at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary installed two full-length, pitching/batting lanes to support various programs. Most notably, these lanes are covered, on turf, accessible from all four fields and can be used rain or shine.