Reviving C U L T U R A L Identity Public engagement drives multimilliondollar renovation in City Lake Park By Dave Toms
T
he year was 2017. Like a timeworn photograph, City Lake Pool showed its age. The 1.25 million-gallon “cement pond” was quickly becoming obsolete in an era of lazy rivers, water cannons, and colorful dumping buckets. It was due for a significant renovation. However, contemplating change was no small feat, as both the pool and its namesake park had become integral to the City of High Point’s cultural identity over the past century, making any transformation a challenge. The city purchased the land that would become City Lake Park in the 1920s and designated 26 acres to develop an amusement and recreation park modeled after the famed Luna Park at Coney Island. Over the following decades, the park underwent numerous transformations, featuring the addition of
28 PRB+ JULY 2024
CHARLIE SARRATT, SKYSITE IMAGES (PHOTOS)