As state workers leave Dix Park, Raleigh prepares to tear down 20 more buildings
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- Raleigh plans 20 additional demolitions at Dix Park starting in early 2026.
- Demolition clears 545,000 square feet, aiming to reduce costs and expand green space.
- City anticipates $90–$120 million in capital costs across multiple major park projects.
The demolition of buildings at Dorothea Dix Park will ramp up as state employees leave the 308-acre campus this month for new headquarters.
The city of Raleigh has already razed 25 buildings, but they’ve mostly been smaller structures totaling 50,000 square feet.
The next round will include some larger buildings on parts of the west campus. They include the Kirby, Ashby, Adams and Williams buildings, located between the sunflower fields and what’s known as Big Field. Those four buildings total nearly 140,000 square feet.
Demolishing that part of the campus is scheduled for early 2026.
Raleigh leaders were briefed about the work and future plans at the park during a meeting Tuesday afternoon.
It cost the state $10.5 million for the buildings’ basic maintenance and operations, according to a 2023 report the city commissioned looking at the state of the facilities. Demolishing buildings that can’t be realistically renovated or reused adds acres of open space and saves the city money, according to that report.
But it’s not just buildings the city will have to contend with. It’s also inheriting a chiller and steam plant that’s estimated to cost $6.75 million a year to run.
“Essentially, we will remove the buildings that are attached to these systems, drain them for water, we will seal them up, and we will remove as much of the walls and products inside these buildings to reduce the amount of mold that will be in them,” said Stephen Bentley, Raleigh’s parks, recreation and cultural resources director.
Six of the buildings on the campus have already been renovated. Those include some of the Stone Houses that have been turned into a welcome center and office space for the Dix Park Conservancy and city staff.
There are 20 buildings, totalling 545,000 square feet, that will be demolished starting in early 2026.
Another 20 buildings, totaling 500,000 square feet, will be stabilized and reused as part of the park.
Major projects in the future
Major projects are planned at the park over the next five years. That includes restoring the Rocky Branch Creek, construction of new utilities, major demolition and redevelopment of the east campus, new trails, community gardens and public art.
Those capital and construction costs range from $90 million to $120 million, and there’s an estimated $7 million to $10 million in annual operating costs.
“What we know about major urban parks is there is no single funding source for them,” Bentley said. “The best urban parks in the world are made up by being funded by multiple sources.”
This year’s city budget included $2 million for five full-time positions to maintain buildings at the park, and another $2.5 million was spent for five employees for landscaping and programming at the Gipson Play Plaza, which opened this summer.
City staff will be back before city leaders this fall with more information about how to pay for some of that work, including a potential new municipal service tax district around the park.
When does NCDHHS staff leave Dix Park?
Raleigh purchased the park from the state 10 years ago for $52 million, inheriting 80 buildings, and agreeing to allow the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services employees to remain on the Dix campus for up to 25 years.
NCDHHS employees began moving off the campus last week, and the move should be complete by Oct. 15, according to Hannah Jones, a press assistant for NCDHHS.
State employees began reporting to their new headquarters, located at the corner of Blue Ridge and Reedy Creek roads, across from the N.C. Museum of Art, this week.
The new headquarters include an 11-story building and a 9-story parking garage to accommodate employees from its central administrative offices, all Triangle-based divisions and support staff, according to LS3P, which prepared the master plan for the campus.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 9:05 PM with the headline "As state workers leave Dix Park, Raleigh prepares to tear down 20 more buildings."
