Park and Recreation Reopens Albemarle Park, Invites Residents to Enjoy Renovations and New Amenities

Mecklenburg County officially reopened Albemarle Park on Thursday, celebrating extensive renovations and investments at the park located in east Charlotte. Community members are invited to visit Albemarle Park and enjoy its new amenities.  

Additions to the park include trails, a boardwalk, a playground, fitness equipment, a basketball court, and a small picnic shelter. Additionally, Mecklenburg County paved the park’s existing natural surface trails and renovated the parking lot.  

The goal of the project was to reactivate Albemarle Park and improve its visibility so residents can enjoy, benefit from and take pride in the space.

“We’re aware of the strong equivalency that exists between parks and quality of life,” said Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners Chair and representative for District 4 Mark Jerrell at the ceremony on Thursday. “That’s why we continue to prioritize, that’s why we continue to support, these types of investments as part of our environmental stewardship and equity work.”

Prior to the improvements, the park’s 13 acres of predominately wooded land and trails were underutilized. Mecklenburg County prioritized Albemarle Park for investment in Park and Recreation’s Meck Playbook master plan and allocated $1.1 million over several years to the project. After meeting with residents to understand their desires, the County started construction in the fall of 2024 and completed it in the fall of 2025.  

“This park is clearly what happens when community comes together,” said Nick Walker, director of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. “Today, as we’re cutting this ribbon, we’re not just opening a park, we’re reopening possibilities for play, for health, for connection and for pride in east Charlotte.”  

Albemarle Park is located at 9120 East W.T. Harris Blvd., just south of Albemarle Road. The park is adjacent to Albemarle Road Elementary School and Albemarle Road Middle School. Across East W.T. Harris Boulevard is Albemarle Road Recreation Center, which features a gymnasium, multipurpose and meeting rooms, a kitchen, a multipurpose field and a nature trail.  

Mecklenburg County is preparing to reconstruct and revitalize Albemarle Road Recreation Center to ensure this legacy facility, first built in 1982, can be a renewed hub of the community. Residents are encouraged to visit the webpage for the recreation center project to subscribe for updates and be notified of opportunities to provide input.

Park and Recreation continues to invest in facility upgrades and new amenities across the county. Investments are planned according to the various needs of Mecklenburg County communities and the priorities of the Board of County Commissioners. Visit Park and Recreation’s dashboard of current projects to learn more about what is happening in your community and get involved.