Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan
MVVA is leading the transformation of the former Dorothea Dix Hospital campus, a 308-acre site in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, into Dorothea Dix Park. The site includes mature oak trees, rolling topography, over 80 buildings in various conditions, a former municipal landfill, and the degraded stream corridor of the Rocky Branch Creek.
THE LAND
The history of the site led to the creation of six distinct but interconnected landscapes: the Creek, the Grove, the Meadow, the Gateway, the Ridge and the Valley.
THE FRAMEWORK
The organizing structure of a park, including the organization of entries and edges, the placement of paths and roads, and the relationship of indoor to outdoor spaces.
THE PROGRAM
The collection of uses and activities planned for the park. Themes were based on community feedback to ensure that the park offers something for everyone.
IMPLEMENTATION
How these ideas can be realized. The park’s transformation is divided into four phases, and operations and maintenance, funding, and partnerships are analyzed.
MVVA’s Master Plan, approved by the Raleigh City Council in February 2019, preserves the site's historic features and core character while connecting the campus with its surroundings to create an immersive, welcoming park experience.
The park will offer something for everyone—gardens, meadows, woodlands, sports facilities, children’s play areas, and a commercial and arts zone reusing portions of the former hospital campus. MVVA also led the design for the first project of the Master Plan to be implemented, the 17-acre Dix Park Play Plaza. Adjoining what will become the main entrance to Dix Park from adjacent residential neighborhoods, Play Plaza includes one-of-a-kind play spaces, a civic plaza, fountains, gardens, and areas for cookouts and relaxation with family and friends.
