The Durham Athletic Park was originally intended for baseball, but changes could be coming to the iconic set of Bull Durham later this year.

Though plans for the park are still in the initial information-gathering stage, Tim Alwran, a senior real estate officer for the city of Durham, said the project will most likely not be condos and heavy retail, and that the city is trying to imagine the park as a public use space.

“The city feels like it’s a great property, but it’s underutilized, and [we’re] just trying to figure out how we can make it a better space for residents of Durham,” Alwran said.

The city commissioned a study, which closed on Feb. 28, asking residents both multiple choice and open-ended questions about their knowledge of the history of the park, its importance to them as residents of Durham and what they would like to see in the DAP space.

Amy Blalock, assistant director of the city’s communication department, noted in an email that project managers were pleased with the volume of responses, which exceeded their expectations.

Preliminary study results will be ready later this spring, and final results likely including outcome scenarios will be presented to the City Council this fall by architecture firm Perkins&Will.

The firm was hired and paid $179,000 by the City of Durham to conduct the study, which was funded by the operating budget of the General Services Department.

The city, which owns the ballpark, issued a request for proposal of a feasibility study in April of last year to evaluate the economic and social impact of the park on the community and whether major changes to the historic park may be in the city’s best interest.

The DAP, which is in the Warehouse District, was constructed in 1926 and home to the Durham Bulls until 1994, when the team moved to the newly constructed Durham Bills Athletic Park which has double the number of seats.

After the Bulls’ departure from DAP it was home to N.C. Central University’s baseball team. After the program was dissolved in 2021, the only team left playing in the park has been long ball Durham Triple Play League for 13- to 19-year-olds with a season running from May to August.

The rest of the year, the park sits largely unused.

Community concerns expressed in emails and the neighborhood listserv have been about finding a balance between preserving the park and making improvements, according to councilmember Carl Rist.

“For me, it seems ideal to still maintain it for athletic purposes, but maybe a broader range. So maybe it’s a multi-purpose field that allows soccer and baseball and softball and a range of things there,” Rist said.

Rist also noted that, as a council member, his job is to make a decision supported by evidence-based results from the survey.

The 5.42-acre park sits squarely in the middle of one of the fastest-growing areas of Durham, a prime location for what Durham Sports Commission Executive Director Marcus Manning said could be a lucrative tourist and entertainment opportunity.

He said the commission’s goal is to recruit and retain national sporting events that have an economic and social impact on the city, and the park could be a “tremendous asset” to many different activities.

“From our perspective, we’re excited about the possibility of the feasibility study and what it could mean for Durham.”

Like Rist, Manning noted the park could host sports other than baseball such as flag football or soccer. Manning also said it’s important to use the park for non-sports-related events such as festivals and concerts, though not all community members see change as an opportunity.

Durham Triple Play League president Pat Jenkins urged community support for preserving the park on Facebook, stating that without the DAP, senior teams in the league would not have a place to play.

“It is crucial for the city to understand the significance of preserving the DAP as a baseball field for athletes dedicated to continuing their beloved sport,” read the post. “This space means a lot to athletes who are passionate about the game and wish to see it thrive in our community.”

Other community voices have mixed opinions on the future of the park, and comments on the city’s social media accounts range from concern over losing the history of the ballpark to wanting an amphitheater in the space.

Bill Whittington runs The Blue Note Grill on Washington Street just north of the park’s third base. He said in his decade of operating in the Warehouse District the area has changed dramatically with apartments and new buildings.

Whittington also said the ballpark does not bring in significant business for his restaurant, even before N.C. Central stopped using the stadium.

“It’s a big area that’s not lit at night,” he said. “It’s just kind of a dark hole that creates a dark passageway from north south if people walk; a lot of folks don’t feel comfortable walking through there because it’s so dark.”

He thinks the most important issue the city should consider for the area is parking, as spots are limited in the area surrounding his business and the stadium.

“We want this walkable downtown,” he said. “But we need to have some places for the folks that are coming in from the outer areas to park so they can come down enjoy the downtown.”