The future of the Durham Athletic Park, one of Durham’s most famous historic landmarks, former home to the Durham Bulls, and iconic backdrop to Bull Durham is up in the air.
On 5.42 acres of “rapidly developing area,” the current use of this space as a baseball field is underutilized, according to the City of Durham, which wants to hear from residents about how this land can be used in the future to better serve Durham residents.
“Feedback from this effort will be used to develop a concept that will benefit the community, tie in with adjacent open spaces, and create a more accessible and vibrant use of the facility,” the city’s website notes. A survey, open through the end of the month, is an early step in the city’s equitable community engagement process.
Freshman councilor Carl Rist has his own history with baseball and the DAP. He played one season of collegiate baseball at Davidson College, and picked the sport back up later in life when he joined a men’s league that played games at the old Bulls park.
Rist, like many Durham residents, sees the DAP as one of the city’s iconic brands alongside Duke University. Durham Athletic Park is a uniquely famous sports facility for a non-major professional sports team. The stadium played a prominent role in the 1988 movie Bull Durham.
The Durham Bulls played their last game at the DAP in 1994. A new stadium, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, opened on Blackwell Street for its first game in April 1995.
“How do we wrestle with how to improve this prime space downtown that has lots of growth around it and make sure it’s more accessible to the public?” Rist says.
Importantly, the survey notes that the city is not interested in selling the land or using it for a private purpose, like condos. “Open space is lacking in the urban center of Durham and this space shall remain accessible to the public,” the survey reads.
Construction in the area has surged in recent years. Apartments are being built across Washington, and the DIY district is in the midst of a dramatic makeover with the addition of Geerhouse and other new residential buildings.
Fullsteam Brewery, one of the anchor tenants of the neighborhood for over a decade, recently moved after wrestling with construction disruptions for years.
Durham Athletic Park isn’t the only downtown site in need of a facelift. City leadership is already looking at making big changes with the Durham Convention Center. A consultant expects the new center to cost north of a half-billion dollars.
The survey is up until February 28. City staff plan to host a number of feedback sessions, which you can register for on the city’s website.
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