Mims Park
About This Project
In 2011, the Town of Holly Springs acquired a 17-acre property in a 28-acre drainage basin that was once part of the 180-acre Mims Estate. In 2012, WithersRavenel worked with the Town to develop a regional stormwater facility in the basin to serve the Village Area District of downtown Holly Springs. As the project progressed, it evolved from a simple stormwater management effort into master planning and design for a prominent public park that will support both passive and active recreation.
The roughly five-acre park will incorporate regional greenway trails, waterfalls, fountains, natural channels, a man-made stream, a half-acre pond, constructed wetlands, and a performance stage surrounded by seating terraces. The nearby Avent Ferry Road will benefit from roadway widening, new sidewalks, and various streetscape improvements. WithersRavenel is providing surveying, civil engineering, landscape architecture, greenway and stormwater design, and construction documents for these features, which will enable the Town to stage concerts and festivals, promote walking and biking, and encourage learning about the natural environment.
During the master plan development process, WithersRavenel and Town staff traveled to Portland, Oregon, and toured their urban parks. Seeing innovative design in action helped the team to better understand how to use stormwater management as an opportunity to enhance park amenities. As a result, the stormwater BMP will be able to control and treat runoff from one inch of rainfall for all properties in the watershed while blending seamlessly with the park setting. When completed, Mims Park will encourage downtown urban development and foster a vibrant and active community.