Case Studies

Throughout history, city parks have united people, offering a gathering place where lives intersect in the busyness of daily life. When Center City Park, a 1.9-acre local landmark, opened in December of 2006, it created such a defining element in the heart of downtown Greensboro, N.C. As part of a vision by the owner, Action Greensboro, Center City Park is a 1.9-acre local landmark where the city’s residents and visitors can enjoy a relaxed, yet lively atmosphere.

Key to achieving the project’s vision was the use of granite as an architectural element throughout the park and particularly for the park’s fountain.

The fountain, an abstract representation of the seasonal stream beds found throughout the Piedmont of North Carolina, serves as the park’s focal point. Its waters increase in size and intensity as they flow down the water stairs and gather at the base of the park’s Great Lawn. The design team selected Coldspring’s Rockville White^® and Mesabi Black^® for the park’s granite features, which included fountains, stairs, bollards, curbing and paving. The owner and design team also incorporated custom engravings into the granite as an artistic element reflective of the local horticulture, such as oak leaves and camellia and cotton blossoms. In total, the project includes 935 granite pieces with challenging ramps and twists.