2023 Parks and Recreation Aquatics Master Plan

Aquatic Facilities Master Plan INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION The City of Greensboro, located in Guilford County, has a diverse population of 299,035 as of 2021. According to the US census Bureau, Greensboro grew by 29,369 people between 2010 and 2020, an increase of 10.9%. The Parks and Recreation Department completed the systemwide comprehensive plan in 2019 and part of the recommendations was to provide specific focus on the existing, aging City-owned aquatics facilities and the future of aquatics provision to align with City’s mission. Site were selected through initial evaluations of the City-owned facilities. A master plan was undertaken to best focus the resources and the future of aquatics to align with the city’s mission “...to shape an inclusive future for equitable economic opportunity and sustainable, safe neighborhoods through resident focused services and programs.”

PROJECT BACKGROUND For over 80 years, the city of Greensboro has had a rich history of providing exceptional program, services, facilities and beautiful parks and gardens. The City’s 170 parks, gardens and special facilities have earned recognition, awards and accolades from residents, visitors, NC Recreation and Parks, and National Recreation and Park Association. In 2020, the department was awarded its 4th NRPA Gold Medal for its demonstration of excellence in long-range planning, resource management, and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with fiscally sound business practices. In February 2019, the department completed its system wide comprehensive master plan, Plan2Play . Plan2Play is based on the recommendations that are framed around three themes: Enhance, Expand, and Connect. These ideas establish a framework for reinvesting in the city’s legacy of parks and recreation facilities, while strategically expanding the Department’s reach to new areas of need and programming.

The framework of the plan was set on the basic of nine big ideas:

› Bring Up the Basics › Create a Strong Brand › Bring Nature to Our Backyards › Strengthen Partnerships › Create Transformative Programs › Create Community Hearts › Make Greensboro Accessible › Connect the Trail System › Improve Trails and Park Paths

Through the community engagement process with Plan2Play , over 7,000 residents were engaged and across all forms, the department heard that residents resoundingly desired access to fun interactive and cool water play. Access to spraygrounds, indoor pools and outdoor pools emerged as a major community priority early in the process and remained a top request throughout the seven months of plan engagement. Based upon this information, Greensboro Parks and Recreation knows that aquatics is important to residents, but the outdated and aging facilities do not lend to creative and interactive water play.

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