The State Employees’ Credit Union and its affiliated foundation donated $5 million to restore the long-abandoned Stone Houses in Raleigh’s Dix Park.
The houses formerly housed the superintendent, physicians and gatekeepers at the historic mental health facility, which is being converted into a public park expected to become a leading visitor attraction for the state capital.
The dwellings built in 1923 were an entry point for thousands of patients and guests at the hospital. They will become a visitor’s center, office and education space.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin joined Dix Park Conservancy CEO Janet Cowell and SECU board leaders Chris Ayers and Bob Brinson at a groundbreaking. It’s expected to take a year to complete the project. Maurer Architecture is the designer and The Northgate Group is the contractor.
Dix Park’s strategic plan also includes the construction of the Gipson Play Plaza and popular events such as the Dreamville music festival.
Raleigh-based State Employees’ Credit Union is the second-largest U.S. credit union with more than $53 billion in assets and 2.7 million members. Its foundation, which is funded by a $1 monthly fee paid by members, has donated $235 million to projects across the state in recent decades.