Fisher Street Park Relocation and John Stokes Garden Improvements Project
Fisher Street Park Relocation and John Stokes Garden Improvements Project
Fisher Street Park Relocation and John Stokes Garden Project
The Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, working in collaboration with the Housing & Neighborhoods Department, is making improvements to the public parks in the East College Park development!
The City of Raleigh, through the Raleigh Housing and Neighborhood Department, is facilitating the development of new single-family homes and townhome units in College Park, a neighborhood in East Raleigh.
As part of this housing development project, the existing Fisher Street Park, located at 328 North Fisher Street, will be relocated to a new site at the corner of North Fisher and Pender Streets, approximately one block away. The new Fisher Street Park location will feature a playground, basketball court, picnic shelter, and seating areas.
Included in this project, Pender Street Park, known by neighbors as John Stokes Garden and located at the corner of Pender and N. Carver Streets, will undergo site renovation including new walkways, seating areas, and landscaping.
When these projects are completed in Summer 2022, the new Fisher Street Park and the improved John Stokes Garden will be places to play, relax, and enjoy the outdoors within the heart of College Park.
PROJECT UPDATE
The Fisher Street Park Relocation and John Stokes Garden Improvements project is under construction from January to July 2022.
During construction, the old Fisher Street Park site has been permanently closed and will be redeveloped into new housing. John Stokes Garden will be closed for construction.
The new Fisher Street Park and the renovated John Stokes Garden will re-open in Summer 2022.
Project Background
In the late 1960s, Fisher Street Park was constructed in the College Park neighborhood, an established community east of downtown and south of Saint Augustine University. The City of Raleigh, through the Housing & Neighborhoods Department, is currently facilitating the development of approximately 150 single-family homes and townhomes in College Park. Known as the East College Park Development, this is a City Council-approved development plan seeks to increase the availability of affordable housing in this area.
Starting in 2015, the City embarked on a process to obtain the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The process involved multiple forms of public participation and citizen input. In 2016, numerous members of the community and staff walked through the College Park Neighborhood to discuss and make note of the neighborhood vision. One of the major points of discussion was Fisher Street Park.
It was recommended by the community that the park be moved. From the feedback received, the City Council adopted the East College Park development plan. The plan called for converting the existing Fisher Street Park, at 328 North Fisher Street, into two single-family lots and placing a new park more centrally in the neighborhood. The new park location will be adjacent to the East College Park community mailbox kiosk and near the John Stokes Garden, a City of Raleigh park at the corner of Pender and Carver Streets.
More information on the East College Park project can be found here.
Project Scope
The Fisher Street Park Relocation Project is a partnership initiative between the City of Raleigh Housing & Neighborhoods Department and the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department. Funding for this project is provided through a Community Development Block Grant coordinated by the Housing & Neighborhoods Department. The project includes:
- Design and construction of the new Fisher Street Park.
- Demolition of the existing Fisher Street Park site.
- Site improvements to the existing John Stokes Garden
- Public art at both park sites
Through the planning process, involving face-to-face meetings (pre-Covid) and community surveys via PublicInput.com, it was determined that amenities for the new Fisher Street Park site will feature a playground and basketball court along with other passive features. These amenities correspond to the programming at the existing park site. Community members stressed that Fisher Street Park and the basketball court have been important parts of the College Park neighborhood since 1969 and that basketball should remain a core part of the new park site amenities.
During the initial public engagement process, the idea of including art in the park design was recommended. As such, Raleigh Arts, a service unit of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, was brought onto the project to procure an artist exclusively for this project. Through a series of interviews with the Fisher Park Artist Selection Panel, composed of representatives of the College Park and local arts communities, a finalist was selected. Jermaine “JP” Powell is a North Carolina-based mixed-media artist and muralist and is currently engaging with the community to develop a vision for future art elements at Fisher Street Park.
See park design and art survey results below.
February 2022 public art presentation: https://fb.watch/bjDQHUE6hE/
PARK DESIGN PLANS
PLEASE CLICK PLAN IMAGE FOR CLOSE-UP
PARK DESIGN FOR FISHER STREET PARK
PLAYGROUND DESIGN FOR FISHER STREET PARK
PARK DESIGN FOR JOHN STOKES GARDEN
PREVIOUS SURVEYS
Fisher Street Park Relocation - Public Art Survey 1
About the Project The City of Raleigh, through the Housing & Neighborhoods Department, is facilitating the development of approximately 150 single-family homes and townhomes in College...
Fisher Street Park Relocation - Schematic Design Survey (Spring 2021)
The Fisher Street Park Schematic Design Survey is closed. Please select "View Results" below for survey responses.Park Schematic DesignRaleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department...
Fisher Street Park Relocation - Concept Plans Survey (Spring 2020)
The 2020 Fisher Street Park Concept Plans Survey is closed. Please select "View Results" below for survey responses. The City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural...
Fisher Street Park - Initial Community Input Survey (2019)
The 2019 Fisher Street Park Initial Community Input Survey is closed. Please select "View Results" below for survey responses. The City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and...
For more information or questions, please contact Gary Claiborne, Capital Projects Manager at gary.claiborne@raleighnc.gov.