A proposed redesign of Green Valley’s Drew Park expands on natural elements and things to do, while also attending to some visitors’ more urgent needs.
The draft final design for the park, located next to Drew Elementary School, includes a new fitness area next to the basketball court, an additional play area near the spray pad, barbecue grills, a picnic pavilion and raised garden beds.
Thanks to some additional funding included in the county’s new 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Plan, the design also includes a pavilion-style restroom on S. Kenmore Street, on the south end of the park.
“During the last round of engagement, we heard that this was an important priority for many community members,” a project video says.
More features include seating near the park’s popular sledding hill, barbecue grills, a picnic pavilion and an entry sign on the north side. A continuous wheelchair-accessible path will also wind through the park.
“The community wanted a park that is easy to move through, offering more opportunities to gather and play, preserving mature trees and the sledding hill, expanding nature and ecological features, and [remaining] a welcoming space to people of all ages and abilities,” the video says.
The park will also be getting some fruit trees, adding to the new orchard at Drew Elementary. Visitors will be able to taste persimmons and pawpaws, a native fruit with a sweet flavor and creamy texture.
Popular existing features such as the basketball court, the spray pad, the canopy and the existing play area will all remain in place. So will the bus stop and Capital Bikeshare station on S. Kenmore Street.
County staff have conducted multiple rounds of feedback on the park, most recently in the spring. The $2.2 million project will unite existing facilities with land acquired from the YMCA, Arlington Public Schools and a duplex demolished last August.
The project will now advance to review by county commissions and advisory boards. County Board consideration is expected in the fall or early winter.
