CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This year, there will be a new spot for you and your furry friend to frolic in Uptown Charlotte. 

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and the neighborhood association, Friends of Fourth Ward, spent the last two years planning and selecting a location for a new dog park.

 

What You Need To Know

  • A new dog park is coming to Uptown Charlotte. 

  • Mecklenburg County and neighbors in Charlotte's Fourth Ward said there is a great need for a dog park.

  • The project is expected to be completed in late spring or summer. 

It will be located in Charlotte’s Fourth Ward, and Ninth Street Park, which currently has a playground, will be repurposed into the county’s first prototype urban dog park.

A Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation spokeswoman said the playground equipment, which was reached its useful lifespan, will be removed. However, families who are looking for a playground can find one two blocks away in Fourth Ward Park.

Both Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Friends of Fourth Ward Board Member Sarah Kennard said Ninth Street Park in its current condition is underutilized.

"We have children in Fourth Ward. It just doesn't get the use that we had hoped it would when it was originally put in place,” Kennard says.

According to Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, survey data and customer requests also show the need for a dog park in urban areas, but land is difficult to find.

Currently, the closest dog park is more than 20 minutes away from Fourth Ward. Kennard anticipates many Fourth Ward dog owners will use this amenity once it’s in their neighborhood.

"We have a lot of dogs, and people like to let their dogs off the leash to run and get exercise. The closest dog park here is Frazier Park, and it's a pretty good hike from here,” Kennard says.

The new dog park will have areas for small and large dogs.

Kristen Witte, who walks her dog ‘India’ three times a day, is excited about the project. She says it will make a difference for dogs and owners.

“They need social time to be better dogs and get their energy out so they are better at home, and people bond while their dogs are playing,” Witte says.

Mecklenburg County is paying $150,000 for the project, which is expected to be completed by late spring or summer. It will be the eighth off leash dog park in Mecklenburg County.

The prototype urban park may be replicated elsewhere in the future.