New Athletic Park at Hoover Road - Public Art

Project Background

The City of Durham's Cultural and Public Art Program and Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) are seeking artists or artist teams with experience in creating public art that fosters a unique sense of place based on community-informed designs for the New Athletic Park on Hoover Road to support a welcoming user-experience.  

The public art project’s goal is to center the community throughout the design and fabrication process. Initial community engagement indicates preference for artwork that: is interactive, uses natural elements, is functional and reflects local history.    

The selected Candidate(s) will work to:  

• Design, fabricate and install sculptural, functional artwork and/or incorporate public art that is integrated into the site based on community-informed designs. 
• Lead, plan, and facilitate an engagement process to solicit community input on public art with at least two (or more) community sessions, prior to submission of design concept(s).   
  • Sessions should include in-person or virtual community conversations, an online element (i.e. survey, community board, etc.) and at least one on-site event.  
  • Additionally, artist should participate in at least two community engagement sessions hosted by Durham Parks and Recreation.    
  • Based on initial engagement, the public art piece(s) may  
    • Connect visually to local history;  
    • Beautify the site through site-specific, functional public art amenities; and/or  
    • Contain interactive elements for adults and children.  

As the City of Durham improves public amenities through the Capital Improvement Plan projects (CIP), the Cultural & Public Art Program can provide public art for New Athletic Park at Hoover Road Background. For the FY 2020-25 CIP, capital projects are funded through impact fees, enterprise funds, grants, the capital project fund, pay-go funding, and debt financings. More information about the CIP process and funding can be found here: https://durhamnc.gov/223/Capital-Improvement-Plan-CIP. 

Athletic Complex Background

On Thursday, October 2020, Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) broke ground on a new athletic park, located at 632 North Hoover Road. The 50-acre site is in east Durham across from the Wheels Fun Park. This park, not yet formally named, is the first park constructed to serve several neighborhoods in northeast Durham, including the historically Black neighborhood Merrick-Moore. The purpose of this project is to create a tournament level athletic park consisting of four natural turf soccer fields, associated vehicular circulation and parking, a maintenance and restroom building, a playground and shelter, sidewalks, walking trails, storm water management measures, lighting, and irrigation. 

This athletic park will provide a location suitable for small tournaments and alleviate the heavy use at Herndon, and Old Chapel Hill Parks, in addition to providing a large recreational opportunity in the Eastern portion of Durham, where there is currently only one soccer field operating out of Twin Lakes Park.