Downtown Cary Park is trending in the Cary area. People enjoy time with family and friends- whether four legged or two. Cary park is near a parking deck, library, and many little shops, cafes and restaurants. Many of the inhabitants both in and surrounding Cary have already made their way into the park after its recent opening.
The seven-acre park just had its ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 19, however, it opened for the public before the ceremony. Due to this early opening, many people got to visit the park earlier than expected. Downtown Cary park has been in planning for 20 years and started getting designed and constructed five years ago.
Council members of Cary started to plan a revival for downtown. They decided a revival was needed to bring more people to the area and develop more places to gather for the community. The make-over Downtown Cary needed was centered around the park. One of the Council members, Jennifer Robinson, shared that “Back then, downtown was a quiet, boring place with very few businesses and aging neighborhoods.” This turning point kick started the planning and establishment of the parkland.
Originally, the Council members were going to build a park incorporating Fenton, but they agreed that it would be better to use most of the land for a seven-acre park. The council carved out land by the library and parking deck, and citizens gathered and gathered around $68 million in taxes for this new vicinity.
Sarah Alexander, the project manager for the town of Cary, says, “Seeing the park complete, finished, and in use in conjunction with the library and… the big fountain, along with the whole street… For me that’s my favorite part of the new park, is seeing it all completed, in use, and to see people enjoying it everyday.”
There are ten main parts of the downtown park. This includes the Academy Pavilion and Plaza (event space), Frantz Square (lawn with Downtown Cary’s fountain), Gathering House and Garden (for events and rentals), Great Lawn and Pavilion (hosts large events and get togethers), The Nest (playground), Tiered water feature (a public art piece), Park Street courts (recreation area), The Bark Bar (craft beers and other beverages served next to the Barkyard), Barkyard ( dog park), and Skywalk (elevated walkway path).
With these ten parts of the park, it wraps the community together and produces a good time. The community is shown by Jennifer Robinson, to have put a lot of say into the park, “It was created from the visions and ideas of over a thousand Cary residents, including over 200 high schoolers, who provided input about what they wanted in a park.”
The community plays a major role in being part of the park. Cary Downtown Farmers market can be located at the Park Street courts. The Great Lawn and Pavilion hosts concerts, movies, and other activities such as yoga classes. Places like the Academy Pavillion and Plaza as well as the Gathering house and garden can be a great place to have lunch meetings and host events. There are a lot of functions at this one park, and the community is taking advantage and using the facility a lot. Jennifer Robinson says that “The park is a vibrant mix of activities, providing something of interest to people of all ages. I think that people like how attractive the park is and enjoy being able to bounce from one activity to another.”
With the people of Carys input of Downtown Carys new park, the hard work of the Cary Town Council, managers, and corporations, Downtown Cary is now a place where lots of people enjoy going to and many want to live by. The environment with the library, cafes, and restaurants right at the outskirts of the park bring it all together. This new park is a social highlight of the area and can be a great place to have a good time.
