Wilmore Centennial Park Brings Neighborhoods Together Along West Boulevard

Growth is exploding in Wilmore, South End, and LoSo, and now the popular area is getting another important attraction with its very own park. Wilmore neighbors will cut the ribbon soon on Wilmore Centennial Park at South End.

“It’s going to be a jewel for South End,” says Kevin Brickman, a Senior Planner for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. “We knew this was an area that could use a public green space.”

The park will offer a welcome respite to the hustle and bustle of new offices and apartments springing up along South Tryon Street and West Boulevard. It occupies the block bounded by South Tryon Street, West Boulevard, Hawkins Street, and West Kingston Avenue – across S. Tryon from the country’s first Bojangle’s on West Boulevard, if you need a landmark.

The 1.4-acre space is situated in the north-facing half of the block for a skyline view, while the southern half will welcome The Square at South End along West Boulevard. A grand oval lawn is terraced to be an informal amphitheater with a space for a stage, encircled by 1,000 feet of concrete sidewalks. A kids’ play area has artificial turf and natural features for play, while seating areas with tables allow a place to grab a bite to eat. Kingston Avenue, on the park’s northern border, has parallel parking spots ideal for food trucks and events.

And yes, your leashed doggo is allowed to play there, too. In fact, in order to avoid the ‘dog waste’ problem currently plaguing other uptown parks, Fido will have his own spaces to ‘go.’ Literally named Dog “Go Zones,” two areas of decomposed granite will give dogs a space to do their business before entering the park. Planners hope the designated areas will help keep grass and trees growing while giving their humans a clean place to relax.

The park may be new, but it wraps up more than a decade of collaboration by planners and the block’s Wilmore neighbors. Park planners began assembling parcels of land and tearing down the houses that were there 10-12 years ago, says Brickman. The site, part of which was donated by the Historic Wilmore Neighborhood, was cleared by 2012 and waiting for the next step.

The location was a great stroke of foresight, considering the explosion in development around it in just the last few years.

“Timing-wise it was perfect, and the location was perfect,” says Brickman. “To be at that part of town, we knew it would change — and now you can see what’s going on.”

Collaboration with neighbors was key. Mecklenburg Park & Rec held two community input meetings in December 2019 and January 2020 to hear what features they wanted. Residents were each given 5 “dollars” to “spend” on features they wanted in the park. More expensive items cost more, and participants got the opportunity to drop their bills into buckets for each option. The amphitheater, seating areas, and playground all scored high.

“We got an idea of what they wanted, and they understood we’re on a budget,” says Brickman. “We came up with a good product that met the needs of neighbors.”

Wilmore Centennial Park also provides a critical link in the chain of park access reaching west Charlotte — an important goal for Partners for Parks this year.

“Through partnerships like this, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is making progress in meeting their goal of everyone having access to quality parks and open spaces within a 10-minute walk,” says Beth Poovey, Partners for Parks President and Principal Director of Greenways, Parks + Open Space at Land Design, the park’s designers. “Wilmore Centennial Park is a new park in an area that has long voiced a need for a park to serve the Wilmore neighborhood.”

With the explosion of growth in South End and the return of families with children in Wilmore, Wilmore Centennial Park will fulfill another goal of Partners for Parks to Breathe Life into our Community for everyone.