Cabarrus Today

The City of Concord is inviting residents to contribute their views on the future development of Hartsell Park and Athletic Complex. As part of its commitment to enhance parks and recreation services, the city aims to create a master plan that will shape decisions on facility preservation, renovation, and new features for improved visitor experience.

Hartsell Park, located near Downtown Concord, covers 21.45 acres and includes a recreation center, baseball fields, pickleball courts, a basketball court, picnic shelter, playground, and open space. Despite recent updates to the recreation center and playground, other facilities are aging and lack pedestrian accessibility.

The proposed master plan seeks to address safety by improving accessibility and visibility. It also aims to enhance connectivity with new trails and sidewalks while focusing on park operations and programming. The city is exploring options for year-round public enjoyment of the park.

Residents can participate in an online survey available at publicinput.com/HartsellPark until July 31, 2021.

In response to the growing population's needs for better access to public facilities, Concord adopted a Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan in 2017. This has led to individual master plans for several parks including Caldwell Park, Wilson Street Park, Dorton Park, Burrage Road Park; work is ongoing for Academy-Gibson Park and a new park in Northwest Concord.

City Council allocates one cent of the tax rate—approximately $1.41 million—for planning new parks and enhancing existing ones.