Customer Case

L.C. Coleman Park

Case Details

Customer

Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation

Location

Charlotte, North Carolina

Style

Age

User capacity

100+

Legacy Told through Themed Play

When Mecklenburg County set out to use $2 million in equity funds to revitalize parks with the greatest need, L.C. Coleman Park was among the sites chosen to address the limited park amenities in West Charlotte. The park, opened in 1979, was named to honor local activist L.C. Coleman and his decades of work fighting for the needs of West Charlotte’s underserved communities. He pushed for better sidewalks, bused Black children to parks across town to play Little League, and organized coalitions that pressured city leaders to address other inequities.

When park planners began site surveying for L.C. Coleman Park, they discovered the story of this land began far earlier than expected—more than a century ago.

Hidden in the brush was a concrete structure, believed by historians and county leaders to be the remnants of one of the few swimming pools Black residents in segregated Charlotte could use in the 1940s. Further examination uncovered even more connections to the past, linking the space to a mass baptism in 1926 and drawing focus to a nearby building. Mecklenburg County officials say this building was a recreational club that flourished in the early 20th century and went by several names, including Sunset Park, the Mona Lisa Club, and the Hi-Fi Club. Prominent musicians and activists in the 1960s—including James Brown, Ike & Tina Turner, and Malcolm X—are said to have graced the space.

With 100 years of interlayered history to tell, Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation wanted the West Charlotte playground to connect the next generation with the past and the space’s deep roots to community. Through a partnership with KOMPAN, the space’s history comes alive—defining moments and everyday festivities are revealed and celebrated through play.

Image Courtesy: Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library

Our partners at the KOMPAN Design Studio were incredible listeners. Not only with their willingness to tell the history of L.C. Coleman Park through their design, but with a genuine interest in the stories we brought to them. They showed tremendous skill and craft in interpreting our vision, evident in the deeply thoughtful panel illustrations.

Jen Brooks, ASLA - Project Manager, Mecklenburg County

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Climbing & Playing Through Charlotte's History

A custom GIANT L play structure anchors the space, offering children multiple ways to reach the top while teaching them about the park’s century-old history through themed panels. A variety of ground‑level play features—including a drawing wall, optical panels, sensory hammock, and adjustable “trumpet” knobs—invite kids to explore and create their own stories. Nearby, a Spacenet and custom “Monkey Trails” course add even more challenge, giving climbers and adventurers plenty to conquer. Inspired by the GIANT’s saxophone panel and musical note details, children can make music of their own on the drum set and music play panel.

Mecklenburg County called upon multiple historic sources, such as photographs and newspaper archives, as concept elements to create a playground that served as a billboard of community history. Each custom detail, designed by the KOMPAN Design Studio, was crafted to tell a chapter of the park’s rich story while preserving the original medium’s natural wear—lines and scratches that aren't imperfections, but authentic traces of the era.

"The KOMPAN Design Studio enlarged one of the graphics we loved—the newspaper ad announcing the opening of Sunset Park—and applied it directly to a panel, keeping the newsprint texture and conveying the infectious enthusiasm for this place," said Project Manager Jen Brooks, ASLA. Tributes to the West Side Little League and to a speech given by Malcom X at Sunset Park in 1963 further imbue the playground with legacy."