Dorothea Dix Landfill Site Coult Culler, Niles Clark, Stephen Louis, Sadaris Nichols, Germaine Pratt.
Site History In the 1940s through the 1960s this site was an active landfill In 1970 the landfill was capped off After being capped off additional fill was added to the site for the construction of the soccer fields The additional fill for the site was provided by a large excavation that took place at the new Raleigh Convention Center.
Current Trends Some current trends for old landfill areas include Playgrounds Walking Trails Sport Fields Outdoor Amphitheaters Nature Gardens Outdoor Classrooms
Community profile Raleigh Population: About 450,000 Average age:32 years old Average income: $50,000 This area is mostly comprised of families and college students. Baby boomers and young children are both growing segments of the Raleigh population.
Site Vision The vision for the Landfill site at Dorothea Dix Park is a total renovation of all soccer fields and surrounding land. Renovating these fields will give the underused site the potential to become one of the most used recreation sites in the RDU area. Reconstructing the site will make it easily accessible for people with different disabilities, ages, and demographics. Creating safe playing fields for people to enjoy no matter the level of competition.
Current Conditions The Landfill site is in very poor condition due to use without maintenance. All of the playing fields are unsafe because of the unlevel land and lack of grass Drainage systems on these fields are in need of reconstruction Picture
Site Needs Ground Needs Fields need tilling, plowing, new fill, tamping, and overseed Drainage systems need reconstruction Gravel entrance needs to be paved Site Needs Parking lot, restrooms, seating, score boards, and break areas Clear signage for playing fields, parking, seating, and restrooms. Physically appealing attributes
Site Needs Continued Dorothea Dix is in need of programs that will utilize more than just one asset of the park at a time. As in the University, The Special Olympics, sports leagues, and community clubs that will always have a need for resources that Dorothea Dix is able to provide. Starting with the soccer fields, these programs will have a safe accessible area to hold both small and large events. The site needs events like these to generate revenue and spread the word about the very useful site Dix park has to offer.
Purpose of the Fields and Trail The purpose for these fields is to provide a safe environment for individuals that are interested in participating in physical activities such as soccer. These fields will also expand Dix Park into more than just a historical site. The walking trail will give people watching a chance to be active. An example of this would be while a parents children are at soccer practice, they would be able to use the walking trail to get some exercise.
Action Plan Using soil maps to plan and project where the parking lot, restrooms and break areas can be placed. Reconstruct the soccer fields by tilling, plowing, refilling, and overseeding the grounds. Input signage starting from Western Boulevard leading up to the entrance of the fields. Identifying the entrance and exit, parking lots, restrooms, and the different playing fields. Placing fan seating around each field, trash cans, and benches.
Budgeting The landfill site is currently leased to CASL soccer league. This league has a three year lease granted by the city of Raleigh. The renovation of this site is going to be the most costly because of the current conditions of the site. We estimated between 1 million and 1.5 million dollars to renovate this site. To keep this site maintained we estimated it would only take a couple of park workers to keep the fields and site in playing condition. This would be around 80,000/100,000 depending on the amount of workers and the amount of maintenance needed with the changing seasons.
Stakeholders Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) Dix park Master plan advisory committee City of Raleigh The surrounding Raleigh communities Nearby colleges and high schools(ex.ncsu, ShawU,etc)
Targeting Local communities Nearby Universities such as NC State, WP, Shaw University, NC Central Local sports leagues Boys and Girls Club YMCA Special Olympics
Marketing Casl soccer league Local businesses Social Media
Bringing it all together The Landfill site has a lot of potential for recreation. The Raleigh community is a growing community that needs sites like this one. This site offers many recreation opportunities for people of all ages and all demographics. Working with the park staff and local community groups the site will be maintain to perform at tip top shape at all times. People are looking for ways to get both themselves and their families outside and active. The vision in mind for this site can meet all their needs. This site will be a great addition to the park as a whole.
Questions???