Outreach and Engagement

The Nocho Park community and City of Greensboro are rich in history and culture, a direct outgrowth of the many active, invested, and dedicated residents, business owners, and leaders that call this place home and care about its future.

Our team understood from the outset that this project’s success would be directly connected to our ability to listen to the community members and stakeholders, synthesize their input, and let the project become an authentic reflection of their needs and identities. In addition, a public project of this size and importance takes on special significance as it must address present and near-term needs while preparing for and flexibly accommodating future demands. Because of these factors, we structured the advance planning schedule around connecting with the community early, often, and in a variety of ways to capture a large cross section of the community.

Before tackling the process, it is important to consider the collective that forms this community. Who currently uses Windsor Recreation Center, Vance Chavis Library, and Nocho Park? Which neighborhoods surround these community hearts and rely on them like a home away from home? Which kids walk along East Gate City Boulevard or through the park, on their way to school? Who are the actively aging residents that have lived in the community for over a half-century, who remember the original recreation center along Gorrell Street, the large, lake-like pool that once stood onsite, and the changes that have shaped the history of this space? What new visitors from further afield might be enticed to visit by virtue of expanded program offerings and unique amenities?

“We wanted to make sure that the design team selected for this project, would be invested in, inspired by, and connected to the vision, our team’s mission, and the community’s needs,” Nasha McCray, Assistant City Manager.

“The entire concept of the Windsor Chavis Nocho Community Complex started with discussions of about how the City could be better stewards of public dollars and be more efficient and innovative in delivering services to our residents, all in a way that aligns with what is most important to the community and what the residents need, now and in the future.

“The historical and cultural significance of this community was very clear and evident. There was a lot of heartbreak over what the community used to be and how that was not respected. Residents didn’t just want something new. They wanted a destination that respected the past while creating a place where future generations could remember where the community came from.

“Not only do we want to be innovative, but we want WCNCC to be a destination that withstands the test of time,” McCray says.

A multi-pronged outreach and engagement approach grew out of the need to connect with this critical, diverse swath of the surrounding community and City of Greensboro. Clear and consistent messaging conveyed the high-level facts of the project - what, when, and where - while the accompanying engagement activities were designed to get genuine input in fun and lively ways. In addition to listening to participants voice concerns and needs, the outreach efforts placed an emphasis on the idea of dreaming big to create a dynamic place housing innovative and essential resources from both the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department and Greensboro Public Library.

Reflecting the ever-increasing use of technology, social media blasts and an online survey provided an alternative method of reaching out to the community and keeping them informed of upcoming events.

All told, these efforts collected more than 4,000 votes from more than 900 participants, established personal connections with community members young and old and inspired energy reinforcing the community’s support and voice for this project. As the project continues to move forward, the team will continue to connect with the community and its stakeholders to share what has been heard and how that information has shaped the design and outcome.

Focus Groups

Focus Groups provided an opportunity to develop a relationship with community members and organizations that helped inform and enhance the project through input and support. The focus group meetings occurred early in the design process, helping kickstart the visioning efforts. These meetings - usually with smaller, targeted audiences - were structured as an open conversation framed around a few key prompt questions.

Stationary Exhibits

Stationary Exhibits were deployed at Windsor Recreation Center, Vance Chavis Library, and the Central Library to capture the input of current users. Clear graphics simply explained the purpose and process of the project, and an interactive, game-like set up encouraged people to share their vision for the re-imagined facility. Participants were given five tokens to vote for their most desired amenities and programs out of a possible 42, and they also had the opportunity to dream big by sharing questions and ideas on comment cards.

Pop-up Events

Pop-up events provided the opportunity to informally meet the surrounding community in a familiar setting (city festival, departmental event, neighborhood event, etc.) to engage in planning efforts. These types of events allowed them design team to listen to shared stories, answer questions, and get to know the community. The stationary exhibit was also brought to each of the pop-up events, taking advantage of the large crowds of people and participants to collect more input.