Groundbreaking at Western Boulevard

On Friday, November 13, 1998, WRAL-TV officially kicked-off a two-year renovation project with the Groundbreaking Ceremony. Included in the renovation plans are a new news studio, a redesigned corporate office building, a redesign of the existing WRAL TV Studio, and a new WRAL gardens, which may include an amphitheater and winter greenhouse.

The official sign.

In attendance were numerous WRAL-TV staff and representatives from the General Contractor, RT Dooley Company, Charlotte, NC; Architectural firm, Envirotek, Raleigh, NC; Project Manager, Tim Garrison; Project Engineer, Tim Miller, and Project Superintendent, Lenny Knott.

Before any work could be done, WRAL had to move its massive 300 foot broadcast tower “a little to the right.” Once this was completed, the stage was set to begin the rest of the transformation to begin. Click on the photos below for a larger view.

Jim Goodmon, President and CEO of CBC shows off the plans.	Tom Allen, General Manager of WRAL-TV welcomes the crowd.
Ben Taylor, Envirotek	The proposed site renderings.
Representatives from RT Dooley Company	The shovels are poised above the ceremonial mound of dirt
An impromptu conference on where to place the shovels	At last, the chrome-plated shovels dig into the mound of dirt
Representatives from the architectural and contracting firms are introduced to the crowd