Community Input

Shaping the Future of Historic Durham Athletic Park

While DAP has hosted amateur baseball games and other events over the years, it remains underutilized. So how can it better serve Durham? That's where you come in.

Wes Platt

26 Jan 2025 — 3 min read

The Durham Athletic Park, a site steeped in history, is at the center of an important community discussion about its future.

The City of Durham is conducting a feasibility study to explore new uses for this iconic 5.42-acre space, located in an area where residential density has grown a lot over the past two decades. The goal: ensure the DAP remains a vibrant, public resource that meets the evolving needs of Durham’s residents.

A Legacy of Baseball and Community

The DAP has been a fixture in Durham since 1926, originally built as a hub for local baseball. It rose to fame as the longtime home of the Durham Bulls, the city’s beloved minor league baseball team, which played there from 1933 until 1994. For decades, the DAP was not just a sports venue, but also a community gathering space, hosting games, civic events, and even the occasional festival.

In 1988, the DAP captured national attention as a primary filming location for the classic movie Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins. The film brought Durham’s baseball culture into the spotlight, earning the park a place in baseball and pop culture history.

However, after the Durham Bulls relocated to the modern Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 1995, the DAP saw less use. While it has hosted amateur baseball games and other events over the years, it remains underutilized. So how can it better serve Durham? That's where you come in.

Preserving Public Access in a Changing City

As Durham continues to grow, the availability of open, public spaces downtown has become increasingly limited. Recognizing the DAP's historic and cultural significance, city officials are committed to keeping the site publicly accessible. This means the park will not be sold or converted into private developments, such as condominiums or rental properties.

The feasibility study aims to honor the park’s past while reimagining its potential for the future. The city is actively seeking input from residents to determine how the site can best serve as a community asset, whether through recreation, cultural programming, or other uses.

Community input is critical to shaping the future of the DAP. Residents are encouraged to share their ideas during Phase 1 of the public engagement process, which is open until Feb. 28.

Feedback gathered during this phase will guide decisions about the park's future uses, ensuring they align with the needs and aspirations of Durham’s diverse community.

It's also possible to participate in in-person events about the project:

Feb. 8: PAC 4 monthly meeting, Campus Hills, 2000 S. Alston Ave. 10 to 11 a.m.
Feb. 11: Lunch with Center for Senior Life, 406 Rigsbee Ave. 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Feb. 11: Durham InterNeighborhood Council monthly meeting, virtual. 7 to 9 p.m.
Feb. 15: PAC 1 monthly meeting, Holton Recreation Center, 401 N. Driver St. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Feb. 22: Youth listening session, virtual. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 27: Youth listening session, virtual. 6 to 7 p.m.

For more information about the feasibility study and to participate in the survey (in English or Spanish), visit the Project Page.

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