Community News

The City of Concord is continuing efforts to enhance the quality and availability of parks and recreation programming throughout the city. The community is invited to participate in these efforts and share their vision for the future development of W.W. Flowe Park. The city is currently developing a master plan for W.W. Flowe that will guide decisions on the preservation and renovation of existing facilities and amenities as well as the addition of new features to improve the public’s overall enjoyment and experience while visiting the park.

W.W. Flowe Park is a 44-acre community park located in the southern portion of Concord. Current park amenities include a four-field baseball complex with press box and concessions, playground area, a large, undeveloped multi-use field, volleyball courts, several small shelters, and a walking trail system. While the park has been programmed and operated by the city for several years, Cabarrus County formally conveyed ownership of the park to the city in 2021. With the community’s input, the city is now looking to create a fresh vision for the park. The master plan underway will help direct the city’s future funding decisions for W.W. Flowe Park.

The community is encouraged to take a short online survey and share their vision for the future of W.W. Flowe Park. The survey is available at publicinput.com/wwflowe, and closes on August 12, 2022.

The city is also hosting a community open-house on July 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fire Station 8, located at 1485 Old Charlotte Road SW in Concord. During this community meeting, conceptual drawings of the park will be available for the public to review and provide comments. The conceptual drawings show what may be possible to improve the overall experience of W.W. Flowe Park, including the addition of amenities such as a new dog park, pickleball courts, playground, soccer/multi-use field, added trails and connectivity, and new shade canopies. The conceptual drawings are subject to change based on community feedback and final park design. At the meeting, Parks and Recreation Department staff will also be available to answer questions.

Background

Recognizing the need for greater access to public facilities to better serve the city’s growing population, in 2016 the city adopted a Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan.  Following the recommendations of the Comprehensive Master Plan, the city continues to develop individual master plans for each existing park. To date, the city has adopted six park master plans: Caldwell Park, Wilson Street Park, David Phillips Activity Center, Dorton Park, Hartsell Park, and J.E. “Jim” Ramseur Park. In addition to W.W. Flowe Park, the city is currently in the final stages to adopt a master plan for the Academy-Gibson area parks, facilities, greenways and connectivity.

City Council also continues to set aside one cent of the property tax rate, or roughly $1.44 million for Fiscal Year 2023, for the development of new city parks, greenways and improvements to existing facilities and programs.