Greenprint

 

Tickets on Sale Now for the Greenprint Gala!

We’ll begin at the Park with a guided tour of our progress. During this Cocktail hour in the park, enjoy drinks from the Glass Jug, see projects nearing completion and learn about the work we’re embarking on next.

From the Park, we’ll head to The Rickhouse for dinner prepared by local chefs, conversation, and a closer look at what it will take to make the Greenprint a reality.

Every dollar raised through the Gala directly supports the Greenprint’s second year, helping Durham Central Park continue this work and turn a long-term vision into tangible improvements for our community.

Come walk the Park, see what’s next, and invest in its future.

Get Your Greenprint Gala Tickets Here

The Durham Central Park Greenprint

The Greenprint, like a blueprint, is a plan, a model, a roadmap for the next ten years at Durham Central Park (DCP). DCP is a city greenspace in downtown Durham, but unlike other Durham parks, it has park patrons beyond its neighborhood boundaries – anyone from anywhere can come to the park to enjoy its bounty. DCP also has loyal advocates and supporters who, through the nonprofit Durham Central Park Inc, can effect change and bring about the park’s transformation to the benefit of anyone and everyone. 

Durham Parks and Recreation consistently commends our organization as the best advocate for parks in Durham. They admire our vision for the space, our ability to engage the community, our commitment to equity and access, and, most importantly, the progress we’ve made in turning this once-neglected area into a vibrant community hub.

Now, we are launching the DCP Greenprint, which is about developing, improving, and furthering our greenspace as an even more accessible, inclusive, and dynamic space for the entire community. While the City of Durham will be a significant investor in the major civic projects apart of DCP’s Greenprint, the majority of the advocacy and seed funding will be stewarded by the nonprofit.

What’s Happening Now

Greenprint Gala 2026

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Durham Central Park & The Rickhouse

An evening for the future of Durham Central Park.

GET TICKETS HERE

The Greenprint Is Taking Shape

We Broke Ground!

The future of Durham Central Park is officially underway.

On July 29, community members, city leaders, donors, neighbors, and park supporters gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of two of the Greenprint’s first major projects: Forest Seating and the Creekside Gateway.

These projects will add hundreds of square feet of new seating, create more welcoming and accessible entries to the park, strengthen connections to the surrounding neighborhood and creek, and transform an overgrown corner of the park. And, perhaps most importantly: Bye-bye, kudzu!

The groundbreaking was a celebration of what happens when a community comes together around a shared vision. We were honored to hear from Nicole Thompson of Downtown Durham Inc., Executive Director Erin Kauffman, and board member David Lent Bews, and to celebrate alongside the generous supporters who helped turn these projects from plans into reality.

 

Read the full story and see photos from the groundbreaking →

The Greenprint campaign is officially underway, and our first priority projects are already in motion:

The Forest Seating Area

A shaded grove with thoughtfully designed seating along the western edge of the park—creating a calm, reflective space for reading, gathering, and resting beneath the trees.

Creekside Gateway 

Project

An improved, artful entrance at the north end of the park near Roney Street and Corporation Street. This project will include landscaping, native plantings, and wayfinding elements to create a welcoming arrival point that connects the park to the surrounding neighborhoods and greenway.

These projects reflect core Greenprint values: connection, comfort, and creative design that serves people of all ages and abilities.

Be a Part of the Greenprint

Your support will help bring this vision to life. Join us in making Durham Central Park more vibrant, equitable, and beautiful for generations to come.

Donate to the Greenprint Here!

Attend the Greenprint Gala Thursday, October 8!

Sponsor a Greenprint Project

Want to make a visible impact in the park?
Sponsor one of our upcoming Greenprint projects and help shape the future of Durham Central Park. Project sponsorship offers the opportunity to support meaningful, lasting improvements while being recognized as a champion of public space, community, and access. You can learn more about the Westside Projects Underway Here

Benefits may include:

  • Recognition signage at the completed project site

  • Inclusion on the DCP website and in annual reports

  • Social media and newsletter spotlights

  • Opportunities to name or dedicate a space

Projects currently seeking sponsors:

  • Creekside Gateway Project

  • Forest Seating Area

  • Pavilion Upgrades (2026)

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Bryce Brooks at [email protected]