Have you walked (or driven) by Needham Park recently? If so, you might have noticed that construction is underway!

We are thrilled to share that DeKalb County’s Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs (RPCA) department has initiated the first phase of their work in Needham Park. Construction began in late August; and the contractor currently estimates that the project will run through March 2026.

Please note that the park is closed to visitors during construction.

Plan & Phases

In 2019, the Friends of Needham Park shared a community-driven vision plan developed in conjunction with Park Pride. DeKalb County took this input and developed an official concept plan for the space, featuring:

• A safer park entrance, to include a crosswalk across McLendon Drive
• Walking paths throughout the park’s field area and into the wooded space across the stream
• A new bridge across the stream
• Stream bank restoration
• A bench and picnic table
• And more!

DeKalb’s overall concept plan, from 2023, can be viewed and downloaded here:

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It will be a significant undertaking to implement all of these changes! As such, the county has notionally divided the work into three phases:

Phase	Description	Start	End
#1	Pathways and amenities within the “field” and wooded areas of the park	Aug 2025	Mar 2026
#2	Stream bank restoration	TBD
#3	Pathway extension along McLendon (toward Ponce)	TBD

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Phase #1 is now underway. The site plan for this phase can be viewed and downloaded below:

Views

Things seem to be moving quickly in the park! The below gallery features photos as of September 19, 2025 (with one exception from late August):

What’s next?

We are all excited to see Needham Park evolve in the coming months! The Friends will track progress on Phase #1 so stay tuned to this website (and to our Facebook group) for updates.

We hope to hold at least one community event during this time, even while the park is closed. Details and timeline are to be determined, however; so stay tuned!