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Pappas Real Estate Development Program

CORE

Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE)
Gateway to Mayodan, a park design concept for the town of Mayodan
Overview

In collaboration with the Commerce, Rural Economic Development Division (REDD), the Pappas Program provides outdoor recreation economy strategic plan implementation services to towns participating in REDD’s CORE program. 

Our team is focused on advancing CORE planning initiatives through design and planning expertise. Our goal is to collaborate with participating communities to develop a clear and inspired path forward while fostering a shared understanding of how to achieve CORE plan goals.

Project Summaries

In 2024, our study team developed design concepts with 5 rural NC communities. Expand each option to read a description of our work in these communities.

Town of Spencer

Research Team

Carla Delcambre (Principal Investigator), Adam Walters (Co-Principal Investigator), Luma Kennedy (Research Associate), Jules Mainor (Research Assistant), Elizabeth Gabriel (Designer)

Project Narrative

Fred and Alice Stanback Educational Forest and Nature Preserve offers 100 acres of accessible plant communities and intertwined trails. The design proposal connects Stanback Forest through the rhythm of Salisbury Avenue to the Yadkin River- a site that will provide outdoor recreation such as boating, fishing, and birdwatching.

The two assets that we have assigned as bookends are Stanback Forest and the Yadkin River. By enhancing the road conditions and improving the human experience along Salisbury Ave, the Town of Spencer would be able to retain tourists and bikers. With engaging signage and wayfinding, this retention will flow over to other assets such as the historic downtown which is further supported by the existing Rowan County Historic Tour.

The “Rhythm” is achieved by three elements repeated every 1⁄4 mile along Salisbury Ave, and includes a multimodal road diet, green infrastructure, and a wayfinding design that mimics the train turntable at the Historic Spencer Shops.

Project Objectives

  1. Creating a sense of place based on the history of the transportation museum: including nodes, networks, and movement 
  2. Road Diet to incorporate multimodal transportation and increase pedestrian movement and bike lanes
  3. Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE) by connecting Stanback Forest through a central corridor to the Yadkin River

Ashe County

Research Team

Carla Delcambre (Principal Investigator), Adam Walters (Co-Principal Investigator), Luma Kennedy (Research Associate), Jules Mainor (Research Assistant), Elizabeth Gabriel (Designer)

Project Objectives

  1. Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE) by connecting West Jefferson to Paddy Mountain, and Paddy Mountain to the Northern Peaks Trail
  2. Foundational narratives that can be used to shape site and program identity and inform a signage program
  3. Wayfinding signage study that would include a planimetric map accompanied by signage design details
  4. Bloom Calendar

Town of Madison

Research Team

Carla Delcambre (Principal Investigator), Adam Walters (Co-Principal Investigator), Jules Mainor (Research Assistant), Andrea Padilla Guerrero (Research Assistant), and Jordan Wells (Research Assistant)

Project Objectives

Develop a green space network within the downtown area, utilizing a vacant green space as a pocket park and improving the streetscape.

  • Visualize a green interstitial space network in the core of the downtown
  • Utilize the vacant parcel and create multi-use event spaces 
  • Intice investment of upper floor residential(short/long-term rentals) 
  • Increase tourism and business recruitment of outdoor retailers and restaurants
  • Organize a clear, functional relationship between towns/partners
  • Provide accessibility improvements and additional seating around the streetscape
  • Connect downtown assets to the proposed through improved signage

Town of Mayodan

Research Team

Carla Delcambre (Principal Investigator), Adam Walters (Co-Principal Investigator), Jules Mainor (Research Assistant), Andrea Padilla Guerrero (Research Assistant), and Jordan Wells (Research Assistant)

Project Objectives

Develop a park master plan for the Washington Mills brownfield site prioritizing biophilic design, nature-based solutions, and increased recreation space.

  1. Enhance current event capacity for larger or multiple event spaces
  2. Connect downtown Mayodan to the Mayo River 
  3. Cost-efficient efforts or solutions to brownfield site remediation
  4. Highlight Washington Mills Site History
  5. Create opportunities for partnerships with businesses + organizations 
  6. Mitigate the impact of extreme weather events and flooding
  7. Develop design elements that promote the reuse or recycling of on-site materials