Raleigh Advances Nash Square Planning, but Design and Cost Remain Open

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Raleigh advanced planning for Nash Square during a Sept. 8, 2026, City Council work session, but the final design, construction budget and construction schedule remain undecided.

The city is developing a long-range public-realm and management plan for Nash Square, the historic downtown public square beside the new Raleigh City Hall. The effort remains in the draft-planning stage and is not a final renovation or construction decision.

Concepts remain under study i

Materials reviewed during the council work session included concepts for changing how people move through and use the square. Those concepts include possible changes to Hargett Street between City Hall and Nash Square, improvements to pedestrian paths and changes that would open or improve the park’s corners.

The ideas are proposed concepts, not adopted designs. The city’s planning page says the plan is intended to guide the square’s long-term preservation and evolution as an extension of the new City Hall and as part of the surrounding downtown environment.

Nash Square is one of Raleigh’s historic public squares. City records describe its mature shade trees, paths connecting Dawson, Hargett, McDowell and Martin streets, and the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the center of the square.

Memorial, trees and infrastructure need more review i

Important details remain unresolved, including how the plan will address the Fallen Firefighters Memorial, the square’s historic or mature trees, stormwater and utility infrastructure, lighting, furnishings and public safety.

The cost of a potential renovation is not known. The city’s project page says the current effort includes planning, design and community engagement funded through the fiscal year 2026 Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department capital improvement program. That funding description does not establish a final construction budget.

For downtown residents, workers, visitors, memorial users and nearby businesses, the practical takeaway is that no particular street layout, park feature, construction start date or total project price has been approved.

Draft work runs through September i

The city’s schedule places the draft-master-plan phase in July through September 2026. Final-plan review is scheduled for October through December 2026.

The city updated its Nash Square project page on Sept. 8, the same day as the council work session. The page also says another public survey on the latest design ideas and developments is expected later this fall.

What Raleigh residents should watch next i

The next major phase is the scheduled final-plan review from October through December. That process is expected to clarify which concepts advance and how the city addresses the memorial, tree canopy, infrastructure, safety features and potential construction costs.

Until those decisions are made, Nash Square remains in planning. The Sept. 8 council review moved the long-range planning process forward, but it did not approve a final renovation design, construction start or project cost.

Sources

• Nash Square Public Realm Plan — City of Raleigh
• City Council Work Session Presentation — September 8, 2026
• Raleigh begins reviewing plans for renovating Nash Square — Axios Raleigh

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