Local
West Charlotte’s L.C. Coleman Park reopens with courts, trails and new gathering spaces
The 19.6-acre Washington Heights park has reopened after a $2.9 million renovation supported by Mecklenburg County equity funding. Its upgrades include basketball and tennis courts, a playground, trails and a multi-use field.
L.C. Coleman Park in Charlotte’s Washington Heights neighborhood has reopened after a $2.9 million renovation, adding recreation facilities and gathering spaces to the 19.6-acre site.
The improvements include two full-size basketball courts, a tennis court, a playground, a multi-use field, walking trails, a plaza with seating, an outdoor shelter and parking. Mecklenburg County identified the park for improvements through its equity funding program.
The park is named for Lewis Cardinal Coleman Jr., a Washington Heights resident who advocated for equity in the park system. The site has held several identities over the decades. In the 1920s, it was known as Clinton Park and included a lake, dance hall and 100-room bathhouse. Later, as Sunset Park and Recreation Center, it operated as a private social club and had the only local swimming pool open to Black residents during segregation.
The renovated park restores a public recreation space with facilities for sports, play and neighborhood gatherings, while the county’s investment addresses longstanding disparities in access to parks.