Davidson County planning $1.1 million project to add features to Yadkin River Park

Davidson County is kicking off the summer recreation season with a potential $1.1 million expansion project at Yadkin River Park.

The Davidson County Board of Commissioners approved an application to the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for a $500,000 grant to add playground equipment, walking trails, environmental gardens and bog garden at Yadkin River Park.

As part of the grant, Davidson County agrees to match $600,000 in local funding.

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According to Thomas Marshburn, director the Davidson Parks and Recreation Department, the new playground area will be northeast of the parking area next to the dog park.

He said the project will include three themed playground areas, such as a nature themed area with play forts, a train-themed playground near the old railway and a bridge themed play area with arches matching the Wil-Cox bridge.

In addition to the playground, the project will include a pollinators garden and a bog garden in the same area.

The plan also includes a new walking path that goes from the dog park to the Trading Ford monument commemorating General Nathanael Greene's crossing of the Yadkin River during the Revolutionary War.

The $1.1 million project includes $750,000 for three playground units; $50,000 for an educational garden with water features; $80,000 in amenities, $12,000 for landscaping, benches and trash cans and $120,000 site preparation.

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Since 1994, the PARTF awards matching grants to local governments for park improvements in state parks. The program helps local governments reach their park and public access goals to improve the quality of life in their communities. Local governments apply for PARTF grants each year.

In 2010, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners voted in favor of taking over the historic, 1,300-foot-long Wil-Cox Bridge, which spans the Yadkin River from Davidson County to Rowan County. Five years later, the North Carolina Department of Transportation gave Davidson County the bridge along with $2.5 million to be used for preservation.

In 2016, the Davidson County Commissioners committed to purchasing the nearby 13.82-acre Fort York area. The Yadkin River Park opened to the public in 2019, after nearly 15 years of planninig.

The Yadkin River Park features stairs that lead down to a river walk, a rain garden, picnic shelter, a brick patio, benches and a bike route on the Wil-Cox Bridge. The Fort York area includes trails and preserved remnants of the Civil War battle.

The addition of the playground, garden and walking trail is Phase 3 of the Yadkin River Park Project. The first phase was the renovation of the area near Wil-Cox Bridge, the second phase was the addition of the stairways to the river, improvement to the camping area and a dog park.

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According to Marshburn, the county should be notified whether the grant has been approved by August, with construction beginning shortly afterwards.

He said that it is gratifying to see the success of the park in only a few years of being opened and the potential addition of new amenities.

“Things have really changed from when we first opened the bridge. We are seeing a lot of people coming out and enjoying the park. This will only make it better,’ said Marshburn.

General news reporter Sharon Myers can be reached at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter @LexDispatchSM.

This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Davidson County plans for a $1.1 million project at Yadkin River Park