City of Durham envisions future of Durham Athletic Park: 'Limitless possibilities'
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Durham Athletic Park is on the minds of city leaders as they consider three ideas for its future use -- preservation/restoration, transformation or a new development.
"There are limitless possibilities for Durham Athletic Park," Durham Sports Commission Executive Director Marcus Manning said.
The nearly century-old ballpark was once home to the Durham Bulls and has hosted North Carolina Central University baseball games. Now, it's being used for youth and high school baseball, but Manning said he sees a lot of potential.
Those are what makes a city worth kind of living in is these little bits of history. If you've got something that shows a pulse of the city, I think that's kind of really important.- Karsen Andrews, Durham resident
"When you think about the downtown footprint, this truly could become a sports and entertainment type district, keeping in mind a community, but also bringing visitors to downtown and to Durham," Manning said.
According to city staffers, the three concepts are not final and may evolve during the design phase, but some Durhamites said they would like to see it be used more and keep its historic charm.
"They could upgrade it a little, especially like the stands and the concession stands and stuff," Dymon Copney said.
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Karsen Andrews, who lives and works in the Bull City, said he'd like to see the ballpark stay downtown, especially if there are opportunities for more community events.
"Those are what makes a city worth kind of living in is these little bits of history," Andrews said. "If you've got something that shows a pulse of the city, I think that's kind of really important."
According to Manning, baseball is "definitely in the future of the ballpark."
"The goal is to keep the historic charm of the ballpark but also think about the future and what it could mean for Durham and downtown Durham," Manning said.
