Bailey Drive Gateway
at Walnut Creek Wetland Park
It's your community space!
The Conservation Fund and its community partners City of Raleigh (Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources; Stormwater; Planning; Raleigh Arts), NC Water Resources Research Institute; NC Sea Grant at NCSU, Partners for Environmental Justice, the Walnut Creek Wetland Community Partnership) are excited to share progress on the Bailey Drive Gateway! Sign up at the bottom of this page to stay in the loop on when and where you can participate and provide input on the next Public Art phase and how to sign up to stay involved. The City of Raleigh will begin construction in 2026.
What is the Bailey Dr Gateway?
The Bailey Drive Gateway is the southern entrance to Walnut Creek Wetland Park from Bailey Drive. The approximately 10-acre site is in a low-lying area of the Rochester Heights neighborhood in Southeast Raleigh. Previously an untended vacant lot where flooded homes were removed, now planned as an outdoor gathering and recreation space for all ages with access to Walnut Creek via walking and bicycle connections. The gateway also will contain a gathering space with public art that honors the history and culture of the Rochester Heights community, and will provide opportunities for environmental education, access to open space, and intergenerational engagement
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About the Bailey Dr Gateway Project
Formerly part of the Parks with Purpose program, now Resilient Communities Urban Conservation program of The Conservation Fund. The community-led planning and development project in partnership with the City of Raleigh is the realization of the ideas and principles contained within the Walnut Creek Wetland Park Master Plan, specifically the southern park edge along Bailey Drive.​
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Engaging the Community
Community engagement is a priority and has been since the project’s inception in 2019. The timeline below illustrates the variety of ways the community was able to provide input into the project even during the COVID shutdown in 2021, thanks to North Carolina’s mild climate and digital technology. Team members canvassed both Rochester Heights and Biltmore Hills placing door hanger at more than 500 residences, and engaging 109 residents in person.
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Timeline of Community Engagement courtesy of Design Workshop:
The concepts for the park and the public art were inspired by the more than two dozen oral and video histories of residents recorded from 2006-2022, surveys, participation from several non-profit organizations that care deeply about Walnut Creek Wetlands Park and the adjacent neighborhoods working in the same space.
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Park Concept
Artist Selection​
As stated above, public art to tell the community’s story was an integral part of the park concept design. In late 2020, Tiffany Baker was shortlisted, interviewed and selected from a pool of eight respondents to an Artist Call issued by The Conservation Fund and shared on City of Raleigh social media channels. She had taken the time to listen to some of the oral histories and included how she would honor them in her work. Artist Tiffany Baker created three temporary glass panels called The Reflective History as part of the first public art process.
The Parks with Purpose Task Force envisioned the Bailey Drive Gateway as a space for community to gather, to explore the wetlands, and to share in the rich culture of the neighborhoods. While it has taken time for the partners to gather funding to fully implement the concept plan approved by the Task Force and community members in 2020, partners are dedicated to seeing its implementation.
In July 2021, residents, family and friends of Rochester Heights and Biltmore Hills neighborhoods were invited to a celebration to reveal the temporary art installation. The three life-sized portraits of cherished community are composed of three glass panels that will reflect light as well as tell stories. Attendees enjoyed a spoken word performance, interactive art, food, family portrait sessions, and more. Visit the Site Installation section below to learn about Baker's creative process and read the poem written and performed to honor the cultural significance of these neighborhoods.​
What is next?
The park design is finalized and construction soon will begin but the public art component continues. The next phase includes five new art panels that will be part of a new pavilion.​
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Graphics of Bailey Drive Gateway design courtesy of Design Workshop:
What's Next?
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
The project team is again seeking community input during an upcoming neighborhood workshop, popup at the PEJ Expo, through online and print survey and more.
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You’re invited to stop by, meet the team, learn about the pavilion, and share ideas for artwork that reflects the neighborhood. Refreshments provided!
Join Us at two exciting events:
Thursday, December 4, 2025, 5:30–7:30 pm (WORKSHOP), the Norman and Betty Camp Educational Center
Saturday, December 6, 2025 11 am–2 pm (PEJ Community Project Expo booth), Please register for the PEJ Expo at go.ncsu.edu/pej-expo
The Bailey Drive Gateway Park project construction documents went out to bid in late October 2025. It is anticipated that construction will begin in 2026 upon successful selection of a contractor. Neighboring homes will be notified when construction is scheduled to begin. Community activities may take place on the site until construction begins.
Have Questions?
For email updates and questions: Email us at raleighparkswithpurpose@gmail.com or leave a message with your name and number at (919) 513-1152.
Funding is provided by The Conservation Fund, City of Raleigh, Safe Routes to School, a North Carolina Dept of Justice Ecosystem Enhancement Grant, and National Park Service ORLAP funds.
