Raleigh gonna take a hit. Economically
One could hope that Dix Park sees a silver lining from all this mess as parks become more desirable/safe ways to socialize.
Meanwhile, take their new survey!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QRW6DDQ
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Some updates on Dix Park:
Moving forward with short-term connection of Dix and Chavis parks.
Keeping creek rehabilitation and land bridge in phase 1 and seeking grants for funding.
Moving ahead with $3.9 million design contract for Gateway plaza and play area by MVVA.
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Thanks for posting this! The slide deck had some notes about practical limitations that I never knew about until now. For starters, HHS sticking around until 2040 means there’s still quite a bit of time before a Dix replacement for the Red Hat Amphitheater can happen -and no amount of funding or phasing fast-tracks can probably fix that.
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I know we don’t appreciate the negative nancys in the community, but I’m going to be one for a second.
Why on earth is a wide sidewalk along a major connective street into DTR serving dense residential areas and the state farmers market deferred
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Still think behind the DECPA was a perfect location for a Red Hat replacement. Now that Salisbury Square development is happening I’m very bittersweet about it.
MLK Blvd should have never been built. It’s underused and destroyed a historically black community plus limited downtown growth to the north side.
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‘No or Lack’ of city funding with the Covid revised budget killed the Lake Wheeler multi-use path because originally the City was stepping up for those funds and the revised budget creates a big PUNT. It sucks for sure. The only reason the other stuff isn’t deferred is the Dix Conservancy raising and donating private funds to push things along while the municipal side continues its fits and starts. At least it’s not a complete No-Burger.
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I get it… But it just seems like such low hanging fruit with huge ROI. Bumping it off the docket in place of studies and grant writing just seems silly.
- Connect Walnut Creek Greenway to Rocky Branch Trail. This could be considered an extension of the Greenway N-S connector on West/Harrington
- Connect Farmers Market to DTR
- Provide (almost) a safe passage for Carolina Pines / Pleasant Ridge Estates into DTR.
- And the obvious, provide a coherent bike/ped route along Dix Park’s highest potential edge. All other sides of Dix abut median divided wannabe highways
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I’m 100% in agreement here. It’ll be even more glaring once the Gateway plaza and play is built.
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Like @NoRaAintAllBad said, pandemic-related budget shortfalls mean you have to prioritize -and the things that are in progress are priority items that already started. I’m not sure what Raleigh’s Parks and Rec is going through right now, but NCDOT had to suspend all projects if they haven’t already started (though COVID isn’t the only reason for that). The City’s already committed to Phase 1 projects, politically; it’s just a matter of figuring out funding shortfalls.
Besides, as much as I think Lake Wheeler walkability is also super-important, there’s another greenway that might deserve a higher place on the priority list from an equity point of view.
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Happy to see that this is being thought about, although I have no idea how they plan to create an “urban greenway” with a budget of $50k.
It looks like the “Long Term” plan is to investigate the possibility of extending the Western Blvd BRT route and the associated pedestrian+bike path to Chavis Park. Seems like a no-brainer from the perspective of increasing access to both Chavis and Dix, so much so that it makes me wonder if extending the corridor that far wasn’t already ruled out as infeasible during the initial planning for some reason. Really hoping that this is actually feasible without negative impact to the BRT plan.
Scratch that, it looks like the plan is to investigate extending only the planned pedestrian and bike infrastructure, which previously was going to stop at the eastern edge of Dix Park. It would cost more than previously planned, but not much from the looks of it. It shouldn’t impact the actual bus route plan, and connects John Chavis and the existing attached greenway to Dix and Pullen Parks directly – they are connected now, but it’s a long, circuitous path that’s at least 3 or 4 times a long as the proposed path one would be, so it’s not really efficient or useful as a method of transit).
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Also! This is apparently a thing. The application to be a part of this advisory group that advises the City and Dix Park Conservancy is open until July 1.
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I am all for equitible investment. Connecting two urban parks is a vanity project. They even used Charlotte as an example of employing local artists to inspire the route with colorful signage and art. There is a massive chasm for bike/ped between SW Raleigh and DTR, and many people walk everyday along the shoulder of Lake Wheeler, on a tightrope between people’s private property and a busy traffic lane.
Also I’m pretty sure the Greenway was in phase 1 along with restoring the creek, the landbridge, restoring the all Faith’s chapel, etc. The Greenway howrver just got the axe…
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And by way of [future] Devereux Meadows, you’d have a north/south path from Walnut to Crabtree as well.
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One larger than the one in the Science museum, maybe 1-2 acres within a mixed-use building of some sort
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Maaaan, I’ve been saying this!!! We essentially have outdoor botanical gardens via JC Raulston arboretum (one of Raleigh’s best hidden gems IMO, it’s really incredible there) - but an indoor botanical garden with perhaps an aviary/butterfly house exhibit would be so awesome. If anyone’s been to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, I’m imagining something like the top floor(s) of that.
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Anyone have any idea why there is so much silt fence and tree protection fencing around the farmers market area? The ground is clearly about to be broken for some purpose
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Since this impacts the relocation of DHHS from Dix, thought this might be noteworthy for this thread:
NCDOR has a RFP out now for a CMAR for pretty huge office building(s) complex across Blue Ridge Road from the art museum parking lot.
Kinda a long timeline though…
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Considering that the DHHS lease at Dix Park expires in 2025, I guess the timeline is about right?
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