The west side of Dorothea Dix Park is starting to look a little more like a construction site than a picnic spot. Fresh fencing is up, crews are rolling in, and the City of Raleigh has officially kicked off the takedown of four former hospital buildings - the first big, visible step in turning that stretch of the 308-acre campus back into open green space.
As you stroll through the west side of Dix Park, you may notice some fencing 👀 The City of Raleigh is removing four buildings for a long-term vision to restore nature and create a greener, more connected, more welcoming, park. https://x.com/i/status/2041552585652379938
— City of Raleigh (@raleighgov) April 7, 2026
Which buildings are coming down
The four buildings on the chopping block - Ashby, Adams, Kirby and Williams - sit between the sunflower fields and the park's Big Field and together total nearly 290,000 square feet. The city awarded an abatement-and-demolition contract to Webb-Harrell Construction Service for roughly $3,032,304. The job covers asbestos abatement, grading, and the removal of pavement and sidewalks, according to ConstructConnect.
The council vote to award the contract was previously covered as part of a broader look at the city's recent public safety and community initiatives.
Why the city is removing them
City planners say taking down selected West Campus buildings will free up acres for meadow, creek restoration, and new trails, while a tighter cluster of historic core buildings is stabilized for future adaptive reuse. The Dix Park 10-Year Implementation Plan maps out which structures are slated for demolition and which are being prepped for second lives, as well as the phasing for that work, according to the Dix Park plan.
The city has described a multi-year program that pairs hazardous materials abatement with building stabilization and demolition as utilities are shut down. Roughly 20 buildings are set to be stabilized and about 17 others removed over time, in line with that long-range blueprint.
Timeline, safety and what visitors should expect
Project documents list January 12, 2026 as the start date for work under the current contract, and the fresh fencing is the clearest sign that crews are now mobilizing on the ground. Council materials and the city's Request for Qualifications say the park will stay open during abatement and demolition, with environmental protections, erosion control, and tree-preservation measures in place to limit the impact on both visitors and habitat.
City officials are pitching the removals as part of a long-term vision "to restore nature and create a greener, more connected, more welcoming, park," as laid out in a post from the City of Raleigh. Park leaders say more work will follow as utilities are decommissioned and stabilization continues across the campus.
For now, expect fenced-off work zones near the Big Field, construction activity on the west side, and clear signage steering people toward the parts of Dix Park that remain wide open for walking, lounging, and sunflower-gazing.
