See how $6 million turned decades-old Independence Park into ‘wonderful place to visit’
More than two years after closing for construction, a decades-old Charlotte park is back and, perhaps, better than ever.
The nearly $6 million dollar project in Independence Park is now on display after some delays. The changes to the park were originally to be unveiled in October 2022. It started construction in January 2021.
Independence Park is 21.5 acres and the 117 year old park is located east of uptown in the Elizabeth community. It stretches from Charlottetowne Avenue near Central Piedmont Community College to near Caswell Road and Atrium Health Mercy hospital.
Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation commission vice chairman Kip Kiser says that the newly reopened park “makes for a wonderful place to visit.”
“They’ve made it so the adults in the area all have a place to go and they made it so children have a place to play in this park,” Kiser said.
New or updated amenities in the park include:
Relocated sand volleyball courts
New backstop, batting cage, fencing, sod field, dugout, irrigation, and lighting for baseball
Half-court basketball area
Combined tennis and pickleball court
Relocated playground (still under construction)
New restroom building with roof terrace
Restored stone walls, steps and grandstand
Renovated picnic pavilion
New looped pathways throughout the park
Flowering shrub borders at Sifford Gardens
- Public colorful art mural of different multicultural faces by Georgia Nakima
The greenery and aesthetics of the park are two big improved areas, Kiser says.
“The landscaping, it was pretty bad. This is all new,” Kiser said. “It was pretty rundown and the drainage was really bad, and so there had been a big grading and landscaping job to work through this.”
The park will be “one of the main” public areas for children to play outdoors in or around uptown Charlotte, he said.
What do park patrons think?
One person who agrees with Kiser: Kristina Zakharova, who says that the park is a great and safe place to be as a family. Zakharova and her husband spent their day at the park walking their dog and pushing their child’s stroller.
“We absolutely love the park, especially as parents we can walk with our little one and we can feel safe and secure,” Zakharova said. “There were not so many places where you could go sit and enjoy, like having a picnic. Right now, it’s certainly much easier to just go outside, walk and bring some refreshments”.
Another factor for her: revived possibilities to meet those in the community.
“You are able to not just enjoy each other but also meet neighbors who are running, doing sports and all kinds of activities so it’s certainly bright up the neighborhood big time,” Zakharova said.
Justine Conner says she likes that the park feels spacious and that it’s easily accessible for walking and jogging.
“The layout is way better and just like the walkability, and it just looks so much more updated and put together,” Conner said. “I remember it being difficult to get from the other side to this side and it was kind of confusing.”
She says her favorite areas in the park include the sand volleyball court along with the almost-built playground.
“We like the sand and I think we’ll like the playground once that’s open,” Conner said.
This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
