Pleasant Park is a 92-acre park and recreation destination with sports fields, an open play lawn, playgrounds, and a splash pad.
Transporting people of all ages to an enchanting world of play
The Town of Apex’s 2013 Parks, Recreation, Greenways, and Open Space Master Plan identified a need for a new athletic complex on the southwest side of town. In early 2015, the Town purchased 92 acres of land near the intersection of I-540 and Old US Highway 1 to create a large, multipurpose park.
The site would pose two significant hurdles to designers: providing vehicular access to both local guests and out-of-town visitors and coordinating with CSX Railroad around a railroad crossing. WithersRavenel Design & Planning team was up to the challenge.
Good design is rooted in mutual understanding and collaboration
Before the WithersRavenel team put pencils to paper or fingers to keyboard, they spent significant time with Town staff and members of the community. Through multiple staff interviews, council interviews, and a public design charrette in the Apex Community Center, the team came to understand that in addition to serving both current and future Town programming, the new park was expected to become a destination for tournament play in basketball, softball, lacrosse, and soccer.
The proposed concepts strike a balance between vision and reality
The site’s size and topographic features provided the primary constraints for the park design, followed by access and other infrastructure needs like electricity for lighting and water and sewer for restrooms. As WithersRavenel laid out courts and fields and selected possible equipment and furniture, the team adhered to the principles outlined in the 2013 master plan.
Take a Virtual Walk through the Amenity Area
After two public meetings to review design options, the Town chose its preferred direction. The new facilities would include the following:
- 6 multi-use athletic fields for soccer and lacrosse
- 4 baseball fields
- 8 tennis courts (see box below)
- Courts for basketball and sand volleyball
- A cross-country running course
- A large open-play lawn
- A splash pad
- Playgrounds
- Shelters
Adapting to change helps the park meet new demands: During construction, WithersRavenel made on-the-fly adjustments to meet the demands of the newest recreation trend: pickleball. The proposed racket complex was changed from 8 tennis courts to 4 tennis courts and 6 pickleball courts. The pickleball courts represent one of several “firsts” for the Town that were accomplished during this project.
Whimsical elements throughout the amenity area encourage imaginative play
Pleasant Park’s 2+ acre amenity area, dubbed the Enchanted Forest, will bring a new level of themed play not just to the Town, but also to the Triangle region. Inspired by beloved fairy tales, fables, and popular folklore, this inclusive play space with nine themed “villages” will spark imagination and joy in kids of all ages and abilities.
Custom-designed color schemes for all the pieces correspond with the stories highlighted throughout the playground. For example, a vibrant green climbing structure with a 35-foot-tall slide evokes the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz, while a smaller play cube piece for toddlers is a brilliant red to represent the apple from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Pleasant Park comes alive as families make lifelong memories
WithersRavenel completed the design and construction documents for Pleasant Park in 2019, and the Town funded the park’s construction with a bond referendum. Despite construction setbacks due to the global pandemic, associated supply chain shortages, and weather, Pleasant Park opened its doors to the general public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 4, 2023. During the first official weekend, more than 10,000 cars passed through the gates to experience this new destination in the Town of Apex.
