Raleigh, N.C. — Dick Jenrette, the co-founder of Wall Street investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, has pledged his support for a plan to convert the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus to a destination park.
The Dix Visionaries group wants to create a version of New York's Central Park on the 306-acre campus south of downtown once the state closes the mental hospital there.
“I am proud to pledge my support to a cause deeply tied to the future of my hometown,” Jenrette said in a statement. “It’s important we seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve Raleigh’s history for future generations, keep green and open spaces and provide a place of recreation and tranquility for all North Carolinians. Dix Park would be an incredible benefit to all North Carolinians and a lasting and fitting monument to Dorothea Dix.”
Jenrette left the investment banking business in the mid-1990s, and he now restores historic homes as founder of the non-profit organization Classical American Homes Preservation Trust.
“Dick Jenrette’s support underscores the importance of our cause, as he is a national figure and ardent conservationist,” Gregory Poole Jr., president of the Dix Visionaries board of directors, said in a statement. “He is highly respected for his incredible foresight in both business and community ventures. We are honored to have his support.”



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July 30, 2009 9:51 a.m.
1 - It doesn't boost the local economy at all.
2 - It'll be a cesspool of crime based on the surrounding areas.
Basically it's a bad idea. The whole area needs to be revamped and revitalized, and the only way for that to be feasible is for a mixed-use development. A park alone there will be a disaster.
July 29, 2009 5:39 p.m.
No plan is perfect.
July 29, 2009 5:01 p.m.
July 29, 2009 3:26 p.m.
July 29, 2009 3:19 p.m.