City of Raleigh plans Moore Square upgrade to begin in September

Moore Square, one of the original public squares created when Raleigh was founded back in 1792, will get a major upgrade that city planners say will make it a downtown destination.

After years of planning, the city says it's ready to revamp this area.

"Moore Square is going to resemble what it looks like in some ways because we're going to protect the historic trees that line the edges of the park," said Grayson Maughan, City of Raleigh park planner.

The new Moore Square will include a café, restrooms, a natural play area, a fountain and a large lawn to host concerts.

City of Raleigh Moore Square project

It will also be the end point of the South Park Heritage Trail to honor Raleigh's history.

"We're very excited with having some of the history of the area," Maughan said.

Construction could begin in September . The area will be closed for about a year during construction and should reopen in fall of 2018.

"A lot of people are anxious to see it happen," Maughan said. "It has been going on for a long time. So we're very excited to have this groundbreaking on the horizon."