Overview

The Town Center Area Plan, which was adopted in 2001, envisions a unique, vibrant, pedestrian-friendly downtown in which to live, work and have fun. The plan calls for a park since less than 1.5 percent of downtown currently is publicly accessible recreation space.

A park could be the focal point for Cary's core, providing a place for cultural events and spurring preservation and investment. The recommended location for a downtown park is within the block of Academy, Walnut, Walker and Park streets. It is across from the Cary Elementary School campus, a potential location for a Town cultural arts facility.

The firm of Wallace, Roberts and Todd of Philadelphia developed a concept plan, which the Town Council approved in August 2002. The firm has been involved with numerous downtown developments across the country, including Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Illustrated final concept

Plan - The Plan has been divided into several portions due to large file sizes

Cover Sheet (1,640 KB)
Introduction (640 KB)
The Planning Process/Planning Principles (370 KB)
Candidate Sites (2,580 KB)
Preferred Site (700 KB)
Themes (900 KB)
Preferred Theme/Next Steps (740 KB)

Next Steps

• Evaluate feasibility and terms for acquiring private property
• Explore sources of county, state and federal money for the park
• Investigate private sources of money for specific areas or park features
• Develop a master plan for paved surfaces, structures, landscaping, lighting, furnishings, etc.
• Identify first phase of construction; prepare detailed drawings and construction documents

• PARTF Grant Conversion

The Town received a grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) in FY2008 to help fund acquisition of downtown parcels for an approximate 12-acre park. PARTF provided $217,760 towards the purchase of approximately 1.43 acres at the corner of South Academy Street, Kildaire Farm Road and Walnut Street. The stipulations of the grant required that these 1.43 acres be used strictly for public park purposes, and that deed restrictions be recorded to this effect.

In 2006, the Cary Town Council approved the Town Center Civic and Cultural Arts Study. This plan calls for a Town Square at the intersections of South Academy Street, Kildaire Farm Road and Walnut Street located on the 1.43-acre parcel for which the PARTF funds were provided. The vehicular square does not meet PARTF's stipulation that the parcel be used for public park purposes. Thus, the Town is pursuing PARTF's process for grant conversion, which will allow the Town to transfer the PARTF funds to a replacement property that is equal or greater in value.

The replacement property approved by Council is for a future neighborhood park site located at the southeast corner of Louis Stephens Road and Morrisville Carpenter Road. This neighborhood park site is approximately 16 acres, with an additional 29 acres on the north side of Morrisville Carpenter Road that is intended to be developed in the future as a farm park. View the preliminary plan.

Schedule

The conversion process requires public input and an adopted resolution by the Town Council. The process is estimated to take approximately six months.

Contact

Sandi Bailey, Parks Planner
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
(919) 380-2135
sandi.bailey@townofcary.org

Doug McRainey, Director
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
316 N. Academy Street
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 469-4066
(919) 469-4344 (fax)
doug.mcrainey@townofcary.org