Dix Park
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Dorothea Dix Park is a public park located southwest of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. The park occupies approximately 308 acres of land formerly used as the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus and is one of the largest public parks in the City of Raleigh. The site offers expansive views of the downtown skyline and serves as a major open-space and civic amenity.[1]
The park is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh and has been developed through a multi-phase planning and public engagement process following the closure of the hospital and transfer of the property from the State of North Carolina to the city.
Site history
Dorothea Dix Hospital
The land that now comprises Dorothea Dix Park was established in the mid-nineteenth century as the site of the North Carolina Insane Asylum, later known as Dorothea Dix Hospital. The hospital opened in 1856 and was named for Dorothea Dix, a mental health reformer whose advocacy contributed to the creation of public institutions for the care of people with mental illness.[2]
Over more than a century, the campus expanded to include numerous buildings, roadways, and utility systems and functioned as a major state psychiatric facility. The hospital played a significant role in North Carolina’s mental health system but was also associated with changing approaches to institutional care over time.[3]
Closure and state ownership
In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, North Carolina shifted away from large institutional psychiatric hospitals toward community-based mental health care. As part of this transition, Dorothea Dix Hospital gradually reduced operations and officially closed in 2012.[4]
Transfer to the City of Raleigh
In 2015, the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh reached an agreement transferring ownership of the Dorothea Dix campus to the city. The transfer was structured as a purchase by the city for approximately $52 million, with funding supported by local bonds and other financing mechanisms.[5]
Park planning and Master Plan
Following acquisition of the property, the City of Raleigh initiated an extensive planning process. In April 2019, the Raleigh City Council adopted the Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan, a long-range framework intended to guide the park’s design, development, and programming over multiple decades.[6]
The master plan emphasizes several guiding principles:
- Preservation of large contiguous open spaces
- Environmental stewardship and restoration
- Integration with surrounding neighborhoods and downtown Raleigh
- Limited permanent structures relative to the site’s size
Governance and advisory structure
To support planning and oversight, the City created the Dix Park Inter-Departmental Team and a public advisory committee. The park’s development is coordinated across city departments, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Planning and Development, and Transportation.[7]
Dix Park Conservancy
The Dix Park Conservancy is a nonprofit organization established to support the development, activation, and long-term stewardship of Dorothea Dix Park. The Conservancy works in partnership with the City of Raleigh to raise private funds, coordinate programming, and advocate for the park’s long-term vision.[8]
The Conservancy operates under a formal agreement with the City of Raleigh and does not own the park property. Ultimate authority over land use and capital decisions remains with the City and the Raleigh City Council.
Development and implementation
Development of Dorothea Dix Park is planned to occur over multiple phases. Initial improvements focused on safety, access, and interim uses, such as temporary event spaces, sunflower fields, and seasonal programming.[9]
Relationship to city planning
Dorothea Dix Park is referenced in the City’s long-range planning documents, including the Raleigh 2030 Comprehensive Plan, as a key civic and recreational asset.[10]
See also
- City of Raleigh
- Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
- North Carolina mental health history
References
- ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Dorothea Dix Hospital" (link). NCPedia. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Mental Health Care in North Carolina" (link). NCPedia. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Dorothea Dix Campus" (link). ncdhhs.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park History" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan" (link). City of Raleigh. (April 2019). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Dix Park Advisory Committee" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Our Story" (link). dixpark.org. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park Events" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
- ↑ "2030 Comprehensive Plan" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.