CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 11, 2022) — Woolpert has been contracted to provide schematic design and design architecture services for J.E. “Jim” Ramseur Park in Concord, N.C. The 28.6-acre park may include nature trails, a recreation center, an obstacle adventure playground, a splash pad, an open lawn event area and pickleball courts.

Woolpert also created the park’s master plan, which was approved by the Concord City Council in 2021. The firm conducted public online surveys and held workshops and meetings with focus groups and community stakeholders to identify programmatic needs and desires for the park, its amenities and facilities.

“Based on community feedback, we may design a hybrid community and recreation center that will be two levels and cover almost an acre,” Woolpert Vice President Andrew Pack said. “It would nestle within the existing grade and trees, opening up to the wetlands and floodplain. There may be integrated indoor-outdoor educational and environmental programming, with classrooms leading to the natural outdoors. The center may be surrounded by boardwalks, an open event lawn area, an adventure playground and defined green space.”

Pack said COVID has amplified the need for passive and active outdoor recreation opportunities and has made safe, clean parks prime community assets, alongside schools, fire protection and police. He said he was impressed by Concord’s engagement in the planning process and its passion for the value this park would provide.

“In my 32 years of conducting these forums, especially with last year being what it was, we were awed by the response from the Concord community. Our surveys alone received more than 1,400 responses,” Pack said. “Programming drives facility, and the feedback we gathered helped us separate want from need to incorporate the elements that will make this park a true regional destination for years to come.”

J.E. “Jim” Ramseur Park was named for the former City Council member who served in the U.S. Air Force before serving the city of Concord in multiple capacities. It is located on Cox Mill Road, immediately north of Cox Mill Elementary School and across the street from Cox Mill High School. It is close to the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in North Carolina.

About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, recently earned its sixth-straight Great Place to Work certification, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has more than 1,600 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.