City council lays foundation for new Waterfront Park

Wilmington residents are eager to receive a new downtown waterfront park and green space, a survey conducted from May through December 2014 found. The results of the survey were shared Monday, March 3, by Amy Beatty, Wilmington parks and recreation superintendent, during a one-hour presentation on the proposed 6.63 acre North Waterfront Park. The address reflected public input collected during the eight-month period and allowed for general questioning.
Community data was accrued through various avenues such as community events, stakeholder meetings, exhibits and social media. Overall 1,400 surveys were completed with a predominately 30-39 age Wilmington resident demographic.
“The response to our survey has been unprecedented,” Beatty said. “Although the park will be located downtown it’s intended to be a regional amenity for all of Wilmington.”
Beatty illuminated what citizens mostly want: the North Waterfront Park to include open green space with shade. Other popular suggestions included performance and festival space, gardens and a natural habitat area.
“Our community needs a larger festival space downtown,” Beatty said. “Right now having a festival here is like trying to fit a round object in a square hole.”
Other objectives for the proposed park include reliable parking, cleanliness, and access to bikers, walkers and public transportation.
“The park will showcase Wilmington as a port city,” Beatty said. “We also need a dedicated space to host events like races, concerts, community events and markets.”
To better develop ideas for the park, Beatty and her team examined various parks around the region including Ellis Square, Savannah, Ga.; Waterfront Park, Charleston, S.C.; and Discovery Green, Houston, Texas. Discovery Green was the location that Wilmington’s future area hopes to emulate specifically.
“Discovery Green is what we most want to model ourselves after due to its programming and connectivity to streets,” Beatty said.
Although the park has yet to begin tangible development, the community is adamant about what they don’t want the park to include: athletic facilities and hard spaces. Developers hope to avoid the possibility for graffiti and pollution to become prevalent. The next step is gathering funding.
“We are now looking for funding strategies for this $10 million-$15 million project,” Beatty said. “Our team is looking into pursuing grants and the possibility of private funding. We hope to continue public outreach.”