June 18, 2025

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Balfour Beatty and Holt Brothers Construction joint venture has successfully completed the Gipson Play Plaza at Dorothea Dix Park (Dix Park), delivering an extraordinary adventure playground that is the largest in the Southeast. The plaza serves as the centerpiece of Phase 1 of the Dix Park Master Plan, transforming the 308-acre historic site into a world-class destination for families and community members of all ages and abilities.

The 18.5-acre Gipson Play Plaza represents one of the region's most complex park construction projects, requiring advanced engineering solutions, custom fabrication and innovative construction techniques across 10 distinct play zones. The project's complexity demanded close collaboration between the joint venture partners, the City of Raleigh, design teams and specialized tradespeople.

"This project exemplifies what's possible when innovative construction techniques meet visionary design," said Jeff Sandeen, Balfour Beatty president in the Carolinas. "Our team's ability to adapt and problem-solve in real-time, from delivering complex soil integration to stonework, demonstrates the depth of expertise that our joint venture brings to transformative community park projects. We are proud of our project teammates and industry partners who leveraged their extensive experience to make the Gipson Play Plaza a reality in Raleigh."

The construction team overcame significant challenges on the 100-year-old site, including strategic powerline relocation accomplished ahead of schedule through collaborative work with Duke Power. The team employed cutting-edge drone technology to map previously undocumented underground utilities across the expansive site, creating detailed photomosaics integrated into construction models to prevent costly conflicts and ensure precise planning.

One of the project's most intricate elements was the elaborate stone archway and ceiling construction at the Fountain Plaza play zone. The team spent months coordinating with expert masons and carpenters to hand-cut and finish each stone for its specific placement. Custom cribbing and scaffolding systems were engineered to support the substantial weight of the stone ceiling during construction, ultimately creating a concaved, wavy stone ceiling behind the waterfall that allows visitors to experience standing behind an Appalachian Mountain waterfall.

Other key construction play zone highlights include Slide Valley’s four multi-story climbing towers with an innovative underground slide requiring specialized excavation and waterproofing; Watermill Mountain's cascading waterplay with engineered flow systems feeding the Sand Bowl's dual wet/dry zones that create a beach-like experience; and the Swing Terrace’s 91-foot swing requiring precise structural engineering for dynamic loads while providing views of the Raleigh skyline.

The joint venture team also successfully integrated existing site soils with new design-intent materials through innovative on-site conditioning techniques, using mechanical aeration to blend materials without costly excavation, preserving both schedule and budget while meeting specifications.

Jonte Harris, Holt Brothers Construction senior project manager, reflected on the project's significance: "The Gipson Play Plaza is more than just another project for our team. Parks have become one of my favorite project types because they're built to grow and serve communities for many years to come. This is a space that I'm proud to have played a major part in building, and I love knowing it can be enjoyed by people of all ages for generations. This project truly has something for everyone—it's a hybrid park that I've had the privilege of watching evolve from concept to design to reality."

Gipson Play Plaza was designed with universal accessibility as a core principle, featuring ADA-accessible routes connecting all major play areas, 10 restroom cabanas with changing facilities and pathways designed for users of all abilities. Additional zones include the Sensory Maze hedge labyrinth with interactive elements, Picnic Grove with 22 tables made from reclaimed Dix Park wood, House of Many Porches market and Kitchen Garden and the tranquil Woodland Garden.

“We’re so excited to celebrate the opening of this extensive play plaza for all of Raleigh, and the significant milestone in the planned development of Dix Park,” said Stephen C. Bentley, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources for the City of Raleigh. “Gipson Play Plaza was a grand vision of imagination, and it required a construction partner with strong knowledge, commitment, and creativity in problem solving to become reality.”

The successful delivery of the Gipson Play Plaza builds upon the established partnership between Balfour Beatty and Holt Brothers Construction, combining decades of expertise with a proven track record of delivering complex construction projects in the area including the Southeast Raleigh YMCA and Wake County Elementary School, Wilson YMCA and the North Carolina Central University’s Student Center.

The Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park is now open to the greater Raleigh community. For more information, visit dixpark.org/gipsonplayplaza.