About 20 members of the community came together on October 15, at a Virginia Avenue Park meeting hosted by the Department of Parks and Recreation and ANC6B04. Out of the discussions, DPR’s Landscape Architect Brent Sisco has created this schematic, high level concept Master Plan for the Park:
Specific ideas generated on October 15 by meeting participants included:
- Playground for young children
- Flexible, flat grass area for multiple sports related activities
- Security lighting with an open feel to the park
- Walking/bike path around the park with outdoor exercise stations around the perimeter (the northern portion enables a bike path connection from 9th Street to the existing lanes on 11th Street)
- Removal of the humps along Potomac Avenue side of the park
- A formal dog park on the eastern side of the Park at 11th Street SE with retention of the Community Garden on the west side at 9th Street SE
- More formal entrance to the Park at Virginia Avenue/9th Street
- Picnic and game tables in addition to benches
- Bottle filler type of water fountains
- Bike racks for all ages
- Maintain the Virginia Avenue corridor view to the Washington Monument
- Shade trees (Casey Trees is developing a canopy goal for the Park)
The overall Park design will be refined through a series of DPR community meetings in the near future. The dog park component design will be developed by DPR working with the Capitol Canines group and other interested individuals.
Background: CSX has committed to a package of community benefits as part of its Virginia Avenue Tunnel project now underway. The renovation of both Virginia Avenue (2nd to 9th Streets SE) and the park are major components of those benefits. Others include special funds for the Capitol Quarters Front Line residents and those at the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments, a Community Mitigation Fund, and a Preservation Fund. (Note that only a portion of the Park’s plan will be implemented by CSX. Funds for the balance of the Master Plan will have to come from DPR, DDOT, and others.)
Here’s a map of the area around Virginia Avenue Park showing the upcoming residential development that, over the next 5 or more years, will provide new users of the Park:
