Late September Opening Eyed for Ballston’s Mosaic Park, But Pandemic Puts Some Features on Hold

After delays in planning and over a year of construction, Arlington’s ambitious overhaul of Mosaic Park (538 N. Pollard Street) is about a month away from its debut.

The park is planned to open, in part, in late September, according to Susan Kalish, spokeswoman for the county parks department.

The renovations convert the park behind the Gold’s Gym in Ballston to an urban plaza with an interactive water feature, children’s play area, casual use lawn, multipurpose court, and basketball half-court. Some of those new features won’t be active at the start, however, due to the pandemic.

“When the park opens the water feature, two electrical circular play elements, park lighting and multipurpose court lighting won’t be available until later in the fall,” Kalish said. “The water feature is official called a splashpad, as you can walk into it and play around. According to the Governor’s Forward Virginia guidelines, splashpad (and our spraygrounds) cannot be turned on due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The county website said the park is designed with casual “drop-in activities” in mind rather than specific sports or engagement with nature.

“Mosaic Park is specifically designed to bring a diverse community together,” the county said. “Whether laying out to soak up some rays or challenging a neighbor to a friendly game of frisbee, this park is uniquely positioned to support impromptu, casual usage.”