We’ve blogged in the past here, here and here about the political saga between the City of Raleigh and the State of North Carolina over the Dorothea Dix property in downtown Raleigh, a 300-plus acre piece of lovely real estate.  And you thought cities and states were on the same side, didn’t you? Oh, how cute.

Anyway, enough about the political row.  Let’s talk about the real estate, which is rolling, with open fields and mature trees and which features an unmatched, majestic view of Raleigh’s quickly-growing downtown skyline (yes, we have other skylines; we are a modern city).

Let’s put this in perspective: 300-plus acres of mostly undeveloped urban real estate.  San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park (created in 1870s) is 1,017 acres in size.  New York’s Central Park (1850s) is 843 acres.  Chicago’s Grant Park (1840s, as Lake Park)  is 319 acres.  We have something here.  From a city planning standpoint, we have something here.  In terms of modern city planning, we very much have something here.  I mean, it’s 2015.

Today, the State recorded a deed conveying to the City: “[A]ll of Lot 1, containing approximately 154.439 acres, Lot 2, containing approximately 9.950 acres, and Lot 3, containing approximately 143.589 acres, all as shown on that plat titled “Subdivision & Recombination Plat Properties of The State of North Carolina,” prepared by Taylor Wiseman & Taylor, dated July 15, 2015 and recorded in Book of Maps 2015, Pages 1183 through 1191, inclusive, Wake County Registry.”

A copy of the deed can be viewed here.

We’ll see what the City does from this point.  In the meantime, for the citizens of Raleigh and the citizens of the State, many view this as a good day.

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