GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Newly elected Greensboro City Councilwoman Crystal Black says she’s ready to take action on one of the city’s most pressing environmental and community concerns — the future of Bingham Park in Greensboro, which has been closed to the public for over a year due to soil contamination.
Located in east Greensboro, Bingham Park has long been a hub for neighborhood activity, particularly for young residents. Today, it stands fenced off — a stark reminder of the city’s environmental challenges and decades of neglect.
Residents like Zahir Muhammad, who grew up near the park, say its closure has left a deep void.
“It’s a big hassle on the kids not being able to play basketball or have fun outside. Usually, this place would be packed,” Muhammad said.
The closure came after city testing in 2023 revealed high toxin levels in the soil, remnants of the park’s history as a landfill site in the 1950s. In response, city officials voted for a “cap and cover” plan — laying more than a foot of clean soil over the contaminated area at a cost of $12.4 million. A full remediation, which would remove the toxins entirely, was estimated at over $39 million.
Councilwoman Crystal Black, however, believes the cheaper solution is only temporary.
“The cap and cover is a Band-Aid. It’s kicking the can down the road,” she said. “This community deserves a contamination-free space where kids can thrive and play.”
Black says she intends to explore state, federal, and private funding options to pursue a more permanent fix for Bingham Park in Greensboro, emphasizing her commitment to restoring dignity and safety for residents.
“My goal is to bring dignity back to the community and the Bingham Park residents,” Black stated.
Newly elected Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter agreed that while the current “cap and cover” approach should move forward for now, the city must continue seeking federal and state assistance to achieve full remediation.
As discussions continue, the community awaits next steps on how the city will address the decades-old contamination — and whether Bingham Park in Greensboro can once again become a safe, vibrant gathering space for the neighborhood.
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Written by: Daniel Olafamoye, Greensboro NC News.
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