What will the process look like? 

The Chavis Park Community Conversation will combine focused stakeholder engagement, public dialogue, and equitable development planning and design. The Community Conversation will rely on public participation through a variety of events to first develop a vision and then explore specific recommendations that can result in a revised plan for renewing the park. The Community Conversation will have three tracks of discussion that will interweave and inform the revised master plan:

• A Public Leadership Group, comprised of representative stakeholders, will dialogue with the City and the general public.
• A Public Dialogue will engage the wider public in visioning and recommendations.
• A Design Resource Team, comprised of city planners and other land use experts, will provide planning, mapping, and design information as well as best practices to support the

Public Leadership Group and the public dialogue.

Click on the image below to see a diagram of the project process. The current phase highlighted in yellow.

PROJECT PARTNERS
The City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation Department will partner with the Chavis Park community residents and other  stakeholders. The partners will be supported by Skeo Solutions, a firm with expertise in public engagement, land use planning and equitable development.

PROJECT TIMELINE
When will the project take place?

The project is expected to take 8 to 18 months. The process began with a public kick-off meeting on August 11, 2012. The Parks & Recreation Department is working closely with the Public Leadership Group to foster broad-based input and community involvement to create a new vision and master plan for Chavis Park. The project process is described below with the current phase highlighted in yellow.

Structure the Process: The Parks & Recreation Department has engaged in planning and community organizing needed to structure the Community Conversation, including forming the Public Leadership Group. The City has created this dedicated website so that residents can access information and understand the many opportunities to get involved.

Shared Learning: The Public Leadership Group will host a series of presenters to help build a shared understanding of strategies for honoring the park’s past and developing a successful master plan. Building on the information gathered during the first public kick-off forum as well as expertise provided by the subject matter experts, the Public Leadership Group will draft a vision, goals and principles to guide the exploration of scenarios and strategies for renewing Chavis Park.

Solutions Development:  The City and the Public Leadership Group will convene a design workshop to confirm a draft vision and principles and gather ideas to inform preliminary scenarios. The Public Leadership Group will examine best practices, explore regional and national resources, and consider what options are best suited to revitalize the park and serve the surrounding community and the City of Raleigh. The Public Leadership Group will host a public forum where residents can review draft concepts for the park and share stories, memories and hopes for the Chavis Park project.

Draft Master Plan: The Public Leadership Group will refine the outcomes of the public forum and workshop process, select a preferred alternative and develop draft recommendations for renewing Chavis Park. The recommendations will be used by the City to develop a revised master plan for Chavis Park.

Final Master Plan: The Community Conversation will conclude with a Final Master Plan.