History

The South Park-East Raleigh Neighborhood Association (SPERNA) partnered with the NC State University College of Design to develop the South Park Heritage Walk Project:  Educate, Preserve, Memorialize report that was presented to Raleigh City Council in 2014. The multi-year planning effort developed strategies to identify, document, and preserve historic assets and locations within the South Park neighborhood. The report recommended the South Park Heritage Trail to connect the neighborhood's various historical and cultural points of interest.

Funding

On November 8, 2022, Raleigh voters approved a $275 million bond referendum. The 2022 Parks Bond included $12,375,000 in funding for the John P "Top" Greene Community Center and the South Park Heritage Trail. Additional funding will be provided through a federal Community Project Funding grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Congresswoman Deborah Ross advocated for the grant in the FY22 federal budget. The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $3,000,000 to Raleigh for the benefit of two projects - the South Park Heritage Trail as well as the Chavis-Dix Strollway. Each project will be awarded $1,500,000.

Outreach Events

Staff held two initial in-person events at the John Chavis Memorial Community Center on September 15 and September 17, 2022, to gather feedback on which design elements should be given priority and how the project should be implemented. Additionally, an online survey was made available until December 2022 for people to provide their input on the prioritization of design elements and implementation. View the results of the online survey.

The city selected Design Workshop for the design and implementation of the South Park Heritage Trail. The project kickoff started in April 2024, with a concept design being completed by the end of the year. Public engagement is scheduled throughout the development of the conceptual design. 

Public Engagement

The city selected BLWall Consulting to assist with community engagement efforts of all overlapping park bond projects located in southeast Raleigh. This concerted effort will ensure equitable engagement, effective coordination between projects, and provide timely updates, while building strong partnerships with the community around project implementation.

After the project kickoff there will be opportunities for the community to provide feedback and engage with staff and the consultant teams with a combination of in-person and online engagement.

• Open House #1:  June 13, 2024 - John Chavis Memorial Park
• Open House #2:  July 30, 2024 - John Chavis Memorial Park
• Open House #3:  September 4, 2024 - John Chavis Memorial Park
• Open House #4:  October 21, 2024 – Shaw University (Estey Hall Auditorium)

An online survey was made available until the end of August 2024 for people to provide their input on the prioritization of design elements and implementation. View the results of the online survey.

Community Advisory Group

The Community Advisory Group (CAG) is membership-specific committee that provides oversight of the project planning process and ensures that decisions include a broad representation of the community and stakeholders impacted by the project. CAG members will help facilitate information sharing between the community and planning staff.  The CAG will review the proposed design of the South Park Heritage Trail and present a recommendation to City Council.

Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources recommended the members to the CAG at the November 7, 2023, City Council meeting.  More information about the CAG and the members selected can be found in the South Park Heritage Walk and John P “Top” Greene Park Situation Assessment conducted by Raleigh Parks staff.