Atrium Health Ballpark

Located along the city’s signature linear park, the new ballpark was designed with more than just sports in mind. Accessibility, walkability, and visual harmony with the surrounding spaces were essential, calling for a flexible and forward-thinking venue. This intentional openness transforms the ballpark into a true civic space–welcoming the community to explore its paved walkways, public playground, and stadium restaurant both in and out of the baseball season. From morning walks along the concourse to community events and concerts, the space fosters daily engagement, reinforcing Kannapolis’ vision of a downtown that’s active, inclusive, and designed for everyone.

The project’s biggest challenge was coordinating public infrastructure upgrades for the projected future growth. Timing and installation of the various elements for the ballpark had to be strategically planned in conjunction with the redevelopment of the rest of Kannapolis’ streetscape and underground infrastructure overhaul. Building off LandDesign’s planned upgrades, the ballpark required new sewer, water, Wi-Fi, and gas services to be brought to the site. Stormwater had to be rerouted from inside the ballpark back to the public infrastructure, featuring a structurally designed 20-foot manhole.

Additionally, managing the visibility of essential infrastructure within a highly constrained site presented further complications. With limited space to work, accommodating large-scale utility elements like backflow boxes and transformers required creative thinking. Above-grade utilities can potentially disrupt the public realm experience, so LandDesign worked to thoughtfully screen and integrate these elements into the site design, ensuring functionality did not come at the expense of aesthetics.