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Crews have been hard at work this week returning the carousel to south Raleigh's Chavis Park, which is undergoing some major renovations.
The project, which began last year, involves moving the carousel across the park to its entrance off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The carousel will now be housed in a new conditioned carousel house, much like the one at Pullen, to protect it from the elements.
Construction is scheduled to finish around mid-March, according to the city's website. A grand reopening is set for 2 p.m., April 20.
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The $1.8 million project also includes a renovation to the carousel and its band organ and other site work. The carousel, which dates to the late 1910s or early 1920s, is a designated Raleigh Historic Landmark.
The park also is important for the role it has played in the African American community in Raleigh and across North Carolina. When built in the 1930s, Chavis Park was one of the state's first urban parks for African Americans.
This park has seen much better days (see the box above for past posts). My hope is that these renovations will make it a destination for the city again. It has so much to offer - a playground, a seasonal pool and sprayground and a carousel, along with a large community center.
We took some pictures this week of the carousel installation. Check out our image gallery.
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March 2, 2013 8:34 a.m.