The Challenge

This property was formerly used as a rock quarry. Located on the Neuse River and approximately two miles from downtown New Bern, the site was largely undeveloped, with the exception of an existing paved entry drive and a graded perimeter road consisting of crushed stone and sand. The site consists largely of lakes with one main peninsular land mass and perimeter lands.

Our Solution

Based on the results of community meetings and a robust community survey, McGill created a design that offers a variety of activities compatible with both active and passive recreation, while also providing an adventure tourism element and a venue for special events, such as concerts and performing arts.

Beyond design, McGill provided stormwater and environmental permitting for Phase 1 and future planned park enhancements. Permitting included wetland delineations, assessment of impacts to waters of the United States (WOTUS), Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) coordination, and documentation of total built-upon area.

The Results

The main area of the park consists of approximately 70 acres and offers a number of both active and passive recreational activities and visitor parking. The main attraction being the lakes, a number of water-based amenities were planned, including canoe and kayak launches, sailboat rentals, fishing, and birding accommodations.

Traditional park facilities were designed with an outdoor adventure theme in mind, such as parking, restrooms, concessions, an adventure playground, and picnic shelters. The amphitheater was designed to initially accommodate seating for 5,000 patrons with space for expansion. Other park amenities will include a ropes course, skate park, zip lines, a lookout and observation deck, and a vast network of walking and biking trails. Tent and treehouse camping areas, wildlife viewing platforms, and shelters were designed for outlying areas of the property.