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…