Westside Park has sheer size. Midtown’s 10th Street Temporary Park project has a convenient location. And the Grant Park Gateway counts a dynamic design and, yes, views of elephants and giraffes.

But when it comes to the complete urban park package, does any new greenspace in Atlanta—or any other U.S. city, for that matter—hold a candle to Historic Vine City’s functional, gorgeous Rodney Cook Sr. Park?

With that question in mind, we returned to the 16-acre, $40-million project for photos recently as the third anniversary of its opening nears.

Following 15 years of planning and four years of construction, the park debuted in summer 2021, solved the neighborhood’s chronic flooding issues, and became an immediate hit with neighbors and Westside visitors, according to project leaders.

Boulders dotted around the park’s water features were sourced from Bellwood Quarry, now Westside Park. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

For those who haven’t been, Cook Park is located two blocks west of the Georgia World Congress Center, connected by new protected bike lanes to the Westside BeltLine Connector trail and the rest of downtown.

The centerpiece pond and other areas in the park can store up to 9 million gallons of stormwater—equivalent to a swimming pool the size of a football field that’s 28-feet deep. Its natural, rolling landscape offers views to Midtown and downtown, with security cameras overlooking the park itself.

The 650-foot steel bridge, at left, was installed over the pond because it helps connect pedestrians from English Avenue to MARTA's Vine City station a few blocks south. Its design echoes an old pedestrian path worn into the previously empty lots.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A splash pad greets visitors at Cook Park's corner opposite downtown, with the new Signia by Hilton Hotel peeking over the trees, as seen one recent weekend afternoon. (What were saplings here in 2021 are starting to become actual shade trees.) Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Some other highlights, as previously outlined for Urbanize Atlanta by project spearheads the Trust for Public Land:

  • An outdoor classroom, with a mini raised stage and seating.
  • An outdoor gym area—now covered by canopies and easily one of the most extensive in Atlanta—is designed to accommodate visitors of all fitness levels.
  • Two sport courts with stadium seating mark Cook Park's southern boundary. The courts were striped for a variety of uses: basketball, soccer, four square, volleyball, and futsal.
  • The popular Cook Park splash pad—the top request from nearby residents during community design workshops—joins a half-dozen others across Atlanta.
  • Two fountains and three pools aerate stormwater before it enters the pond, creating a healthier habitat. The pools collect stormwater from 160 acres around the park and allow sediment to drop, removing debris from the street.
  • Boulder-like climbing structures that were fabricated and funded by The North Face outdoor apparel company—after being designed by kids in the neighborhood.
  • Located at Cook Park's northwest corner, the playground was designed to be accessible for all ages and abilities. (Fun fact: The playground’s theme is based on nearby Proctor Creek, which used to run almost diagonally though the park site years before Vine City was developed. The creek was channelized and buried long ago, but the playground’s color scheme and wavy pattern pays homage to it.)
  • A seven-foot-tall Congressman John Lewis statue by sculptor Gregory Johnson is the first of many installations the National Monuments Foundation eventually plans to install around the park.

If all of that sounds like the ingredients for a top urban greenspace with many important purposes, we wholeheartedly agree. 

At the park's southeast corner is a system of stone-built pools and fountains used to recirculate and purify water. The rock-studded channels are designed to clean stormwater before it enters the pond.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The park includes a mile and 1/2 of stainless steel railings. Bridges were fabricated in Alabama, shipped over, and fitted onto raised concrete structures. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Vine City news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)