Background
Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners has voted
to provide funding to begin the construction of Romare Bearden Park!
The Petition and Email Campaign is Closed!
In
the spring of 2000, the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
adopted the Center City 2010 Vision Plan. The plan included the
suggestion of a large scale public park that will become the symbolic
focus of Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte.
Romare Bearden Park will be created on a 5.2-acre parcel located in
Third Ward between Church and Mint Streets and Martin Luther King (MLK)
Boulevard and 4th Street. Romare Bearden was an internationally
renowned artist who was born in Charlotte in 1912 and at one point in
his childhood, lived near the new park at the corner of MLK Boulevard
and Graham Street.
Recently the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners has agreed to
amend a deal with R.B.C. Corp., a subsidiary of Wells Fargo. The new
deal gives R.B.C. Corp the right to repurchase part of the park land in
October, 2012 if demolition and grading on the park site is not
"substantially completed."
We must not miss this opportunity to have a wonderful park in the heart
of the city of Charlotte. Urge the members of the Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners to do everything they can to support Romare
Bearden Park, beginning with the approval of funds to begin work on the
Park site. Furthermore, we
encourage the members of Charlotte City Council and the Mayor of
Charlotte to do everything possible in
support of Romare Bearden Park.
Romare Bearden Park is key to the future of Mecklenburg County for the following reasons:
- Romare
Bearden Park will contribute to the economy of Mecklenburg County by
increasing property values, and therefore, real estate tax receipts.
- Romare Bearden
Park will generate economic activity inside and nearby the park by
attracting out-of-county tourists and neighborhood dwellers who will
visit the park for activities and events, or just simply want to enjoy
the park and its surroundings.
- Romare Bearden
Park will help the families of Third Ward in Mecklenburg County save
money by offering free or inexpensive recreation.
- Romare
Bearden Park will provide health benefits to Mecklenburg County via
medical savings realized by residents because of active recreation in
the park.
- Romare Bearden
Park will have a significant positive environmental impact on the
immediate vicinity of the park: Its trees will help remove carbon
dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and particulate matter
from the air. The park will also absorb a substantial amount of rain
runoff, thereby reducing the cost of treating stormwater.
- Romare Bearden
Park will have a substantial positive social impact by increasing
community cohesion: Parks help residents become acquainted with each
other, and efforts to create and care for parks create further
community cohesion. This "social capital" can help reduce a city's
costs for policing, fire protection and criminal justice.
- Romare Bearden
Park will play a significant role in stress reduction. Research has
shown that employers spend $7,500 per employee on stress related issues: The
park will serve as a fantastic daily stress reducer for those who work
and live in the surrounding area.
- Romare
Bearden
Park commemorates the internationally renown artist, Romare Bearden who
has created a substantial body of work celebrating Mecklenburg County.
The park will acquaint visitors with Bearden and help them remember
this illustrious native son of Charlotte.
- Romare Bearden
Park will be the first true "city park" in Mecklenburg County. Such a
new and large scale public park will eventually become the symbolic
focus of Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte.
- Building Romare Bearden Park is simply the right thing to do for the children and adults of Mecklenburg County.
Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners has voted
to provide funding to begin the construction of Romare Bearden Park!
The Petition and Email Campaign is Closed!
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