A new art space next to Jennie Dean Park is almost complete and scheduled to open to the public this spring.
Crews are currently putting the finishing touches on the 2700 Art Space project at 2700 S. Nelson Street, which began construction last August, said Alyson Jordan Tomaszewski, a spokesperson for Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services.
“Final installation of several design elements will be completed pending improved weather conditions,” Tomaszewski said. “The 2700 Art Space is on track to open to the public in spring 2026, and we will share more details about the opening plans when they are available.”
Construction was previously expected to conclude last month. Once complete, the space will provide a series of outdoor stations including an art gallery, a mobile stage for performances and movie screenings and an open space for activities or exhibiting temporary sculptures.
Elements of the “glade” will include a shipping container for storing outdoor seating, event production gear and landscaping tools, string lights, a pergola with display panels, an art garden and a large grassy lawn.
The space replaces Inner Ear Studios, a recording studio where some of the region’s most iconic punk and rock acts recorded. Arlington County acquired the former warehouse on the site in late 2021 and, after deeming the nearly 70-year-old building structurally unsound, decided to demolish it and build a flexible open space for arts programming.
It’s part of an effort to implement an arts and industry district in Green Valley that responds to community needs and makes art more accessible.
The county developed a plan for the space in collaboration with the public art firm Graham Projects, which conducted a series of community engagement efforts in 2022.
“This process led to a final design to transform the site into an inclusive outdoor public space for arts programming and performances driven by and serving the community,” a county page says.
