Arlington County is seeking feedback on plans for a new park near the forthcoming east entrance to the Crystal City Metro station.
Design concepts for Metro Market Square focus mostly on pedestrians, envisioning a “promenade” with lots of plantings, seating and “entrance zones” on either end of the narrow recreation area along 18th Street S., which will contain an exterior elevator to the Metro stop.
The new park, which was first identified as a public space in the Crystal City Sector Plan, will also likely include stairs with more seating areas to contend with elevation changes on the site, according to a county presentation.
“The community emphasized a desire for a park that is safe, welcoming and easy to navigate, with strong pedestrian connections and a variety of seating and gathering spaces that support both social interaction as well as quiet use,” county staff said in the presentation.
The county is collecting feedback on the design concepts through July 3, although the two possible options are rather similar — mostly differing in minor elements like shade structures and the aesthetic of the pavement.
“Through our early conceptual studies, this arrangement of zones proved to be the most logical response to the site’s constraints,” staff said. “Rather than developing two completely different concepts, our goal has been to refine that framework and explore variations within it.”
The new recreation area has the following goals, according to a project page.
- The project may contain a ground plane finished primarily in hard surfaces allowing for market uses, temporary pushcart retail, public gatherings, outdoor entertainment, and a variety of related uses.
- Another design consideration is providing for a major connection across 18th Street South to the nearby Center Park (identified as Park #7 within the sector plan).
- Other potential design features such as benches, café seating, larger interactive sculptures, chess tables, bosques of trees, and similar features should be incorporated into the overall design. Furthermore, pervious paving, artistic wind turbines and other artistic design elements could be incorporated into the public space.
- The community engagement process will also solicit potential park names for the public space. Potential name(s) will then be considered as part of the County’s process for park/public facility naming which includes review by the Park and Recreation Commission.
After public feedback will come a final draft design, followed by County Board action, expected later this year. The county does not list an estimate on when construction will begin.
