Being Raleigh’s Parks board chair, I have a great interest in making Dix Campus into a park. This morning I learned of an afternoon news conference by Dix Visionaries and wrote my friend Bill Padgett to get the details so I could attend.
The presser was on the Dix campus and I arrived in a suit. A gaggle of press were there setting up and I began to chat with the assembled dignitaries. There were big names there: Jim Goodmon, Anne Goodnight, Greg Poole, Bill Padgett, Jay Spain, Susan Bowers. I was there just a supporter but these folks had done a lot of work to get where we are today.
I was content to watch on the sidelines but Greg called me and the others up to stand with him. Before I knew it I was interrupted in sending a tweet and standing in front of the cameras.
Jim Goodman was fired up and spoke first, announcing a $1 million donation from the Fletcher Foundation to go towards master planning the park. Then Greg spoke about the opportunity Dix presents. Then there were individual interviews before everyone departed.
Here’s WTVD’s report from John Camp, who wrote a more negative story than the others:
Bob Geary was there as well, as was Matt Garfield of the N&O.
Here’s the raw video of the whole press conference from WRAL:
The Council of State will vote tomorrow morning and I’m optimistic they’ll see the value of this deal, too.