The new playground and plaza at Raleigh’s Dix Park now has a $10 million name

Anna Johnson
·2 min read

City leaders agreed to name a portion of Dorothea Dix Park after a Raleigh couple in exchange for a $10 million donation.

“This is an important moment because it’s a transformational gift for Dix Park and the city of Raleigh,” said Janet Cowell, CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that supports the city and Dix Park. “Ten million dollars is a lot of money, a very generous amount, and enables us to build a world-class playground that wouldn’t be feasible if it were just public dollars.”

The Raleigh City Council unanimously accepted the gift during its meeting Tuesday night.

The money comes from Raleigh residents Tom and Pat Gipson. Tom Gipson is the founder of Thomas Gipson Homes and is known for creating the Home Builders Blitz with Habitat for Humanity, a national program that asks home builders to build homes for Habitat.

The married couple founded the Gipson Family Foundation in 2016, and have donated to several causes.

A rendering of a proposed waterfall at the Plaza and Play area of Dix Park
A rendering of a proposed waterfall at the Plaza and Play area of Dix Park

The first phase of Dix Park’s development includes a new entryway, plaza and play area on about 18 acres off of Lake Wheeler Road. Dog lovers might recognize the spot as the Dix Park Dog Park, which is moving next spring.

With the $10 million donation, the area will be called Gipson Play Plaza for 30 years.

“This is a wonderful legacy, but it will be a legacy all our children can enjoy,” said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. “I want to say thank you. This is very heartfelt. This is a special moment for all of us and Dix Park.”

The estimated cost of plaza is $61 million. The Dix Park Conservancy pledges to cover $20 million of that cost, plus more than $4 million for the design of the plaza.

The Conservancy has raised about $39 million and spent $20 million on park improvements, the park master plan and free community programming, said Christy Smith, senior communications and marketing manager for the Conservancy.

The ground-breaking for the first phase is set for July 2022 with construction expected to last two years.

A rendering of a proposed playground at the Plaza and Play area of Dix Park.
A rendering of a proposed playground at the Plaza and Play area of Dix Park.