Creating a Key Destination
In partnership with the Town of Rutherfordton and the Rutherford County TDA, the team at DbD worked collaboratively with these community partners to revitalize Kiwanis Park and develop it as a key destination point within downtown Rutherfordton.
Rutherfordton and its downtown assets are vital tourism offerings within Rutherford County. Downtown Rutherfordton and the smattering of other vibrant downtowns across the county make up the Main Street Tourism Region of Rutherford County’s tourism asset base.
The redevelopment of the Kiwanis Park in downtown Rutherfordton represents an opportunity to enhance an underutilized downtown asset that will help lay the groundwork for attracting private investment to the downtown area.
More Reason to Recreate
A revitalized Kiwanis Park will create a key destination point and community gathering place within downtown Rutherfordton along the proposed Purple Martin Greenway. Ultimately, the Purple Martin Greenway will connect to the 13.5-mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail and to dozens of miles of additional planned greenway throughout the county.
The Kiwanis Park Master Plan encompasses a number of planned features that will greatly increase the number of recreational opportunities in downtown Rutherfordton. Some of these planned features include: a dog park, an experiential playground, a creek play area, and walking trails.
Investing in this unique outdoor asset will add a needed layer of continuity between downtown Rutherfordton and existing recreational trail infrastructure. Once completed, the park will strengthen and diversify the town’s outdoor recreational opportunities and broaden its quality of life amenities.
Conceptual Plan of Kiwanis Park
Opening New Opportunities
There was always little question that the Kiwanis Park held a great deal of potential for Rutherfordton. A stone’s throw to downtown and bordering the aesthetically pleasing Cleghorn Creek, the Park always had the makings of a potentially transformative project. Now, with a master plan in place, the Park’s full potential can be realized.
Kiwanis Park is on its way to becoming an attractive anchor institution in downtown Rutherfordton that will become a key feature of the community’s landscape for years to come.
