GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Residents, community leaders and local officials are invited to celebrate the opening of the new West Oak Pocket Park during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Aug. 3.
The celebration will begin at 9:30 a.m. at 103 N. Carolina Street, where the City of Goldsboro and the Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro will officially unveil the new public space. The event marks a major milestone in the ongoing Choice Neighborhoods Planning Initiative, a collaborative effort focused on strengthening neighborhoods and improving quality of life for residents.
The West Oak Pocket Park serves as an early action project under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a comprehensive program designed to transform distressed public housing and surrounding neighborhoods into sustainable, mixed-income communities. The initiative centers on three key priorities: housing, people and neighborhoods.
The Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro and the City of Goldsboro received a Choice Neighborhoods planning grant to develop a community-driven Transformation Plan outlining a long-term vision for revitalizing the area. As part of that process, the program called for an Early Action Project—an immediate, visible investment that demonstrates progress while building momentum for larger redevelopment efforts.
The West Oak Pocket Park fulfills that role by providing a welcoming green space for residents and visitors in the West Oak neighborhood. Located directly in front of the Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority (GWTA), the park offers convenient access to public transit while creating a destination for recreation and community gathering.
Designed to serve people of all ages and abilities, the park features shaded seating areas, a ground-level rock and ropes play space, an oversized swing, landscaping, outdoor musical instruments and accessible amenities. City leaders say the new park is intended to become a neighborhood anchor that encourages outdoor activity, strengthens community connections and supports future revitalization efforts throughout the West Oak area.
The public is encouraged to attend the Aug. 3 grand opening and help celebrate the completion of a project that represents the first visible step in a broader vision for the future of the neighborhood.
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