Michael Lindsay: Make Caswell Square a park

Regarding the Dec. 3 news article “Critics decry sale of Caswell Square property”: The potential sale of state property on Caswell Square in downtown Raleigh is a mistake; a short-term gain of cash by the state but the loss of a long-term asset.

This is public property that should be returned to its original purpose – a city park (one of five public squares in Raleigh, as designed by William Christmas in 1792). The removal of the abandoned buildings and new plantings would be a start in that direction.

As Raleigh develops higher densities in downtown, green space will become increasingly important and valuable. Surely our state capital can afford to preserve this part of our history for current residents and future generations.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Michael Lindsay: Make Caswell Square a park."