RALEIGH, N.C. — Officials with Raleigh's Dorothea Dix Park are asking for input as they finalize design plans for an 18-acre section of the park on Lake Wheeler Road.

Plaza & Play is part of Phase 1 of the Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan, and it includes fountains, play areas, as well as spots to gather and eat. Some people involved say the plans resemble New York City's Central Park.

"So the vision is that this will sort of be the gateway to the entire park," says Janet Cowell, the President and CEO of Dix Park Conservancy. "There will be a plaza with a sort of fountain wall and entrance that you can have concerts or community events. Then you go through to a really amazing playground for children and then you’ve also got a swing terrace that will overlook the skyline and sort of blend in with that grove of oaks that overlook Raleigh. There will be picnic areas and grilling stations. So it’s really meant to be something for all ages, children all the way to grandparents and families."

Cowell also says she hopes this will boost the economy.

"There’s just so much opportunity for economic development through this by having children’s museums, play areas, food halls, just having educational interactive experiences that make this a better community to live in but also inviting in local businesses, small businesses to be part of this park," she says. 

Nick Neptune is a Raleigh resident and member of the Dorothea Dix Community Committee. He says Dix Park is one of his favorite places to ride his bike.

"There’s always been something sort of inviting about the green, the trees, the land, the space, the views of downtown," he says.

The park will be even more enjoyable in the near future, thanks to progress on the Plaza & Play section.

"Whether you’re coming in by bike, whether you’re walking in, whether you’re coming in on a wheelchair, this is a space where you belong," Neptune says.

However, many committee members feel the land's long and complicated past cannot be ignored or forgotten.

"It’s a history that goes from indigenous land, to plantation, to this mental health institution, and now to this park space," Neptune says.

Dolores, Davis Paylor's mom, was an advocate for patients' rights, so she knows the old ways of treating mental health are controversial, and that history is often linked to the park.

"Because we have had generations that may have some negative connotations of Dorothea Dix Hospital, this is our time to reconcile that," he says.

Plaza & Play is a large undertaking, and that's why those involved are inviting the public to have a say in the park's plans, which may help reclaim its future.

"This is our time to come forth and say, 'This a place for healing. This is a place for reflection,'" Paylo says.

Construction is set to begin on Plaza & Play in the summer of 2022, and it is slated to open in 2024.

In the meantime, you can take a guided tour of the park to actually walk through the proposed plans and you can also submit comments online.