Located in Uptown Charlotte's Third Ward, Bearden Promenade is a 425-foot-long, 35-foot-wide linear pedestrian corridor that establishes a critical east-west connection between South Tryon Street and Romare Bearden Park. Envisioned as a signature urban streetscape, Bearden Promenade strengthens connectivity and reinforces visual continuity within the heart of Uptown Charlotte. The corridor features a carefully curated collection of richly detailed architectural and landscape elements - including gateway signage, illuminated vertical markers, and a blend of fixed and flexible site furnishings - designed to create a dynamic and engaging public realm. A dense understory and a semi-continuous canopy of shade trees help define the spatial character of the promenade. This layered planting approach creates a shaded, park-like environment, offering moments of relief and tranquility along the pedestrian corridor.

Bolton & Menk, Inc. provided both landscape architecture and civil engineering services for Bearden Promenade. In partnership with a skilled team of long-standing collaborators and subconsultants, the design team was tasked with delivering a signature streetscape in Uptown Charlotte for Mecklenburg County. Although primarily a public park, Bearden Promenade was designed and constructed in tandem with the adjacent office and hotel developments, meeting regulatory requirements for both public and private components.

 
In addition to connecting South Tryon Street to Romare Bearden Park, the project also provides urban open space for the adjacent, award-winning 300 South Tryon development. The project offers 638,000 square feet of office space and approximately 20,000 square feet of retail.

Nearly every element of the park is custom designed to respond to the site's unique constraints. The shade-oriented landscape distinguishes the promenade from typical streetscapes, with approximately half of the corridor constructed as an intensive green roof above a 408-space subsurface structure. Custom stainless steel curvilinear strips were applied to the building's ventilation grates - transforming a utilitarian, visually intrusive element into a defining architectural feature that reinforces the identity and cohesion of the streetscape.

To enrich the visual experience along the promenade and subtly guide pedestrians toward Romare Bearden Park, the design incorporates a series of custom-fabricated illuminated pillars. The installation features one primary column standing at 11.5 feet and six secondary columns at 8.5 feet, serving as both visual landmarks and pedestrian-scale lighting elements. Each pillar is internally lit and constructed with resin panels supported by a structural steel frame. The bases are clad in White Mount Airy Split-Face granite. The columns' distinctive color palette and geometric patterns echo design motifs from Romare Bearden Park, reinforcing a cohesive visual language and enhancing orientation and visibility throughout the day and night.

A series of custom radial monolithic benches were thoughtfully integrated along the promenade to provide both functional seating and visual continuity. Strategically placed to frame informal gathering areas with movable furniture and exposed aggregate concrete paving, the benches create inviting spaces for rest and social interaction. Each bench is crafted from Jet Mist granite, featuring split-face vertical surfaces for texture and honed horizontal surfaces for comfort and durability. To enhance thermal comfort and introduce material contrast, custom Ipe wood slat inserts were incorporated into the seating surfaces. Integrated LED base lighting improves nighttime visibility and reinforces the promenade's identity as an active, pedestrian-focused public space. In response to the site's approximately 10-foot grade change between South Tryon and South Church Streets, many of the benches are terraced to follow the natural topography.

The use of durable, high-quality materials with a rich palette of textures and colors was central to the design strategy, reinforcing a cohesive landscape identity. The paving approach incorporates oversized Holland Stone concrete pavers in the Tryon Street Blend, extending the established Tryon Street aesthetic into the promenade. Exposed aggregate concrete panels define seating areas, while curvilinear bands of Carnelian?(R) and Jet Mist granite pavers weave through the space to articulate circulation routes and edges. Complementary granite elements - including custom benches, hand-selected boulders, and White Mount Airy granite curbing - further unify the material language. Pedestrian safety and accessibility were key priorities, with the design intentionally restricting midblock movement across West Third Street through the strategic placement of landscape elements, paving patterns, and site furnishings.

Bearden Promenade stands out as a distinctive public space in Uptown Charlotte, offering a pedestrian experience unlike streets in the city's core. Its thoughtful design and high level of public use have made it a valued urban space. The project was recognized with a Merit Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NCASLA), honoring its exemplary achievement in landscape architecture and contribution to the public realm.

As seen in LASN magazine, November 2025.