Durham wants to restore the historic Durham Athletic Park
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A rendering of how the Durham Athletic Park could be preserved. Photo: City of Durham
Durham city leaders indicated Thursday that they would prefer to renovate the historic Durham Athletic Park rather than completely transform it into an open green space in the heart of downtown.
Why it matters: The Durham Athletic Park (DAP), which dates back to 1926, is notably the former home of the Durham Bulls and featured prominently in the movie "Bull Durham."
- The stadium was last renovated in 2008 with the help of a $4 million bond.
Between the lines: But city leaders view the baseball park as chronically underused for occupying such a large space in the city's downtown core and often point to the successes of Downtown Cary Park and Gipson Play Plaza in Raleigh.
- The baseball field is currently only active 124 days of the year, according to city staff, and is otherwise closed off to residents for most of the year.
Driving the news: Durham began seeking plans from consultants on potential redevelopments of the park last year, and the firm Perkins&Will presented three conceptual ideas for the park at the city's work session on Thursday.
Zoom in: The three plans were:
- One: Keep an active but restored baseball field and grandstand on the site, while making the site more welcoming to pedestrians, while adding some green space for other sports uses, like soccer, or social gatherings. Estimated cost: $48 million to $68 million.
- Two: Transform the current baseball field into an open green space featuring a building for civic space, gathering spaces and play areas. Estimated cost: $40 million to $60 million.
- Three: A plan that would take that transformation further and add more civic space, play areas and a restoration of the Ellerbe Creek that goes under the site. Estimated cost: $62 million to $85 million.
What they're saying: Several speakers advocated for a plan that keeps the historic baseball park, including former Durham Mayor Nick Tennyson, as well as the Durham Sports Commission.
State of play: The Sports Commission added that it has heard from three potential tenants that would lead to the DAP being used more often, including plans for a new minor league baseball team, a baseball academy as well as North Carolina Central University's softball team, which has been playing in Cary.
- A move to synthetic turf, the Sports Commission added, would allow for more than just baseball uses at the park.
What's next: The ultimate plans for the DAP remain undecided, but the Durham City Council indicated to staff that it would like for the option of renovating the baseball stadium to be further developed.
- The goal is to have a final plan for the park determined next year.
- However, finding funding for that plan and determining when it would actually begin construction remains to be seen.