Mecklenburg County buys land to expand Idlewild Park in Matthews
Mecklenburg County is buying up land to expand a Matthews park.
The county purchased two pieces of land at 2337 Hargett Road and 4420 Margaret Wallace Road, property records show, for a combined cost of $10 million.
The town confirmed the new parcels will add about 30 acres to Idlewild Park.
“This is a meaningful investment in expanding Idlewild Park and a win for the entire community,” Matthews Mayor John Higdon said in a statement.
The existing 203-acre park, located at 10512 Idlewild Road, already includes ballfields, playgrounds, picnic shelters, a disc golf course and access to the Irvins Creek Greenway.
Property records show the county finalized the purchases in early April. The expansion may end up bringing new indoor and/or outdoor amenities to the facility, Mecklenburg Park and Recreation told The Charlotte Observer. But no work has been funded or scheduled yet.
The county previously announced plans to add a new skatepark and bicycle and pedestrian connection to Margaret Wallace Road at Idlewild. That work is unrelated to the latest land purchases, the county said.
Observer reporter Desiree Mathurin contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM.
