CLH design was the lead designer for the City of Wilmington Bijou Park Renovation project. The site is rich with history and is a landmark in the City. In the early 1900s, this site, located in downtown Wilmington on Front Street, operated as a theater where short motion pictures were displayed for just five cents. Residents of all ages frequented the theater. In the mid-1960s, the theater closed, and the building was demolished. The only remaining piece of the theater was a mosaic tile on the ground displaying the Bijou name. A local garden club converted the vacant lot into a pocket park.

The site was overgrown and ready to be renovated. CLH led the design team in rejuvenating the park into a safe, dynamic public space while preserving and telling the site’s history. The site is situated between the vibrant Front Street and a large multi-use development. CLH coordinated the design of this park with the adjacent private development. The park’s design will support the City’s Tree City USA and Bee City USA designations and the Downtown PEDestrian ART (PED ART) program.

The City residents and visitors now have a new and engaging public space.

The Sturgeon City Civic & Environmental Education Center project is a former wastewater treatment plant which has been converted into an environmental education center with classrooms for education and lab use that will also be used for meetings and special events. Outdoor amenities included the conversion of existing concrete clarifiers into water features, an outdoor gathering area as well as parking facilities, landscaping and Stormwater Control Measures to comply with stormwater requirements.  CLH’s services included development of construction plans and specifications for these site improvements based on an approved schematic site plan. CLH also provided permitting and construction administration services as the building was being constructed.

The new center will be a great facility for the Onslow County community to provide hands-on environmental education programs for individuals of all ages.

The Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center is an existing Town of Morrisville facility originally built in 1988. Since this aging facility needs improvements, CLH worked as part of a design team to develop conceptual design studies and associated preliminary costs to determine the best use of the available funding for the improvements. Once a conceptual design was developed, CLH provided design, permitting and construction administration services for the improvements and renovations.

A new year-round pool facility was constructed with a retractable roof to allow for outdoor use in the warmer months. A new locker room building was built between the existing building and the pool structure, along with renovations to the existing building’s interior. Two new pools were constructed, which include a 6-lane lap pool to replace the existing 4-lane pool. Additionally, a two-segment play pool was constructed to include a beach style entry and play features, as well as a 3½’ deep recreation pool. The existing three tennis courts were demolished with two new tennis courts relocated on the site. The new parking configurations required new storm drain systems to convey the drainage to stormwater control devices (SCMs). This improved aquatics and fitness facility is a new great amenity for the growing population of Morrisville and the surrounding communities.

Active adults in Apex now have an amazing place to socialize, learn, exercise, and have fun! CLH successfully integrated the new Senior Center facility on the existing Apex Town Campus and adjacent to the existing Town Hall and Community Center. The central quad underwent a major renovation to serve as an innovative stormwater management device and open activity space.

CLH was part of the design team for the downtown Cary Regional Library project. The Cary Library is part of a joint project with the Town that includes a multi-level parking deck that was constructed adjacent to the downtown park’s fountain and performance space. The two structures are separated by an outdoor plaza with a pedestrian connector bridge. The library takes advantage of its setting with views into the park, the historic Cary Arts Center, and shared outdoor public spaces with the adjacent performance space. This is an exciting new facility for downtown Cary.

CLH’s services included landscape architecture and civil engineering for both the library and parking deck, along with the associated outdoor public spaces adjacent to these facilities. This requires collaboration between multiple partners, including Wake County, the Town of Cary, the architect, the parking deck engineering consultant, and many others. Construction was completed in 2019.

CLH provided civil design, permitting and construction administration services for the new City of Durham Police Headquarters Complex. The complex includes the Police Department Headquarters, an annex facility, a 911 communications center, and a parking garage on a tract of land bounded by East Main Street, South Elizabeth Street, East Ramseur Street, and Hood Street in downtown Durham. In addition to the facilities mentioned, the site includes some surface visitor parking, a public plaza, and other open space.