Raleigh leaders approve Dix Park master plan

The master plan is considered a starting point that could result in what is being called Raleigh's Central Park.

Posted 6:46 p.m. Feb 19, 2019 — Updated 11:40 p.m. Feb 20, 2019

Sarah Krueger, WRAL reporter & Kathy Hanrahan, Out

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RALEIGH, N.C. — After more than a year of discussion, public comment and revisions, city leaders voted Tuesday to adopt the Dorothea Dix Park's master plan, which could dramatically transform the public space.

The council instructed city staff to propose a plan for phase one, which involves research for funding and cost options.

Raleigh bought the 308-acre site south of downtown from the state, which formerly was the site of North Carolina's first mental hospital and still is home to some state offices, for $52 million in 2015.

Significant work on the park could begin within a year.

Kate Pearce, senior planner for Dorothea Dix Park for the City of Raleigh, hailed the approval as the "culmination of years of hard work."

"We are doing something that’s going to last for generations. It’s going to be for the children and grandchildren of the community. And that’s so exciting," Pearce said.

The master plan calls for sectioning the park into six distinct landscapes: the Creek, the Meadow, the Grove, the Ridge, the Valley and the Gateway. Each area provides different opportunity.

City leaders long envisioned the site as Raleigh's version of New York's Central Park, and designers have worked to blend nature and amenities, new development and history throughout Dix Park.

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Some of the features in the plan include:

Demolishing newer sections of the former Dorothea Dix Hospital to focus on its historic origins and transformation of the remaining structure into an arts space, a community incubator or a boutique hotel
Using part of an old rail line on the property to link an amphitheater and a water garden with event centers, a food hall and offices across the campus
Connecting the site more closely with neighborhoods to the west and Pullen Park to the north
Restoring a creek, woodlands and a meadow, including a historic cemetery, on the property
Building a loop walking and bike trail to tie the campus together

"It really does create two different kinds of parks all in one park," President and CEO of Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy Sean Malone.

The construction of Dix Park is a work in progress, the first phase of which could span 10 to 20 years.

Many details about the park require more discussion and planning, such as the Gateway area along Lake Wheeler Road, where some want to see restaurants and shops.

Raleigh resident Anneliese Koontz, who walks her dog at Dix Park daily, supports the plan because she believes it will make the city more diverse.

"Economically, I feel like that’s more opportunity to grow for Raleigh. Aesthetically I hope that this is going to make Raleigh look prettier on the map and have it more of a destination spot," she said.

Resident Rob Jordan attended the meeting to support the project.

"I eventually will have kids and a family," he said. "It’s important that 10 years from now I can bring my kids here, my family, and say I was here on this date and witnessed history."

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the Dix Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that helped finance the planning process, also endorsed the master plan.

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