Hill Rag: NoMa Community To Build Its First Park

NoMa residents — prepare for the neighborhood’s first park. On Oct. 29, the NoMa Parks Foundation announced that it bought the lot at Third and L Street NE to develop into an 8,000-square-foot public space. Read more.

The NoMa Parks Foundation recently acquired a parcel at Third and L Streets, NE that will be developed into NoMa’s first park. The acquisition adds to the great community amenities in NoMa and makes good on the promise of beautiful public spaces for the neighborhood. The lot is the first acquisition for the NoMa Parks Foundation and will enable the creation of a roughly 8,000 square foot park. The land is titled to the District of Columbia government.

Residents, workers and visitors to NoMa will all be able to enjoy a thoughtfully designed system of parks and public spaces as envisioned based on input from residents and stakeholders. Other parks projects include the NoMa Meander, a four block long pedestrian promenade unique in the District; Underpass Art Parks to beautify and create delightful connections between the areas east and west of the train tracks; and NoMa Green, a two acre space intended to serve as the “backyard” for the neighborhood. NoMa, with its free outdoor Wi-Fi, beautiful streets, incredible transit assets, great retail and pop-ups and parks underway provides the experiences and environment that people want in a 21st century mixed-use neighborhood.

“We’re excited to have the first of several acquisitions under our belt,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, president of the NoMa Business Improvement District. “The addition of public park space is an integral component in our efforts to transform the neighborhood and buying this land for the neighborhood is another milestone in creating this smart urban environment for people in NoMa.”

The NoMa Parks Foundation invites community members and park enthusiasts to the second NoMa Parks Community Conversation to discuss plans for NoMa Parks and public spaces. This community meeting will take place on November 19, 2015 at 6:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1225 First Street, NE. Representatives from D.C.’s Department of Parks and Recreation and other government partners will attend. A community meeting to discuss the Third and L Street, NE lot will be held soon thereafter. For more information and to RSVP for the November 19th Community Conversation, please visit nomaparks.org.

The NoMa Parks Foundation, recently acquired a parcel at Third and L Streets, NE that will be developed into NoMa’s first park. The acquisition adds to the great community amenities in NoMa and makes good on the promise of beautiful public spaces for the neighborhood. The lot is the first acquisition for the NoMa Parks Foundation and will enable the creation of a roughly 8,000 square foot park. The land is titled to the District of Columbia government.

The acquisition coincides with the launch of NoMa’s City. Smarter. campaign which illustrates the great changes and unique benefits of living and working in NoMa. The park acquisition is one of several parks and public space projects highlighted in the campaign. Other projects include the NoMa Meander, a four block long pedestrian promenade unique in the District; Underpass Art Parks to beautify and create delightful connections between the areas east and west of the train tracks; and NoMa Green, a two acre space intended to serve as the “backyard” for the neighborhood.

Residents, workers and visitors to NoMa will all be able to enjoy a thoughtfully designed system of parks and public spaces as envisioned based on input from residents and stakeholders. NoMa, with its free outdoor Wi-Fi, beautiful streets, incredible transit assets, great retail and pop-ups and parks underway provides the experiences and environment that people want in a 21st century mixed-use neighborhood.

“We’re excited to have the first of several acquisitions under our belt,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, president of the NoMa Business Improvement District. “The addition of public park space is an integral component in our efforts to transform the neighborhood and buying this land for the neighborhood is another milestone in creating this smart urban environment for people in NoMa.”

The NoMa Parks Foundation invites community members and park enthusiasts to the second NoMa Parks Community Conversation to discuss plans for NoMa Parks and public spaces. This community meeting will take place on November 19, 2015 at 6:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1225 First Street, NE. Representatives from D.C.’s Department of Parks and Recreation and other government partners will attend. A community meeting to discuss the Third and L Street, NE lot will be held soon thereafter. For more information and to RSVP for the November 19th Community Conversation, please visit nomaparks.org.

About The NoMa Parks Foundation

The NoMa Parks Foundation was formed in 2012 to establish welcoming, sustainable, beautiful spaces where people can play, refresh and connect in NoMa, now and for generations to come.

The rapid transformation of NoMa into a true mixed-use, urban neighborhood has highlighted the importance of creating great parks and public spaces. More than 36,000 people live within 4/5 of a mile of First and M Streets, NE, and the population is projected to double in the next 10 years. However, publicly accessible parks, playgrounds, and plazas in the area are severely limited. Parks are urgently needed and undeveloped land is becoming scarcer each year. The creation of refreshing, inviting parks and public spaces — before it is too late — will improve the lives of people in NoMa today and in the future. More about the NoMa Parks Foundation and its current activities and initiatives can be found at nomaparks.org.  You can sign up for the NoMa Parks Foundation newsletter as well. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaParksDC and like us on Facebook. 

###

Media Contact:
Sarah Mars Bowie
(202) 974-5081
[email protected]

The NoMa Parks Foundation has $50 million and a plan to develop a network of green spaces cutting through the booming community. Until very recently, the vacant lot at Third and L streets Northeast was not part of that plan. Read more.

Stacie West is the Director of Parks Projects. Before joining the NoMa Parks Foundation, Stacie was a community planner and a Capital City Fellow with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. She led development of the comprehensive Play DC Parks and Recreation Master Plan and orchestrated an improvement initiative to renovate all city-owned playgrounds. Stacie managed over a dozen capital projects and was involved in all aspects of the projects, including design charrettes and construction management. She also previously worked for the District Department of the Environment creating a public outreach strategy for the 20-year Sustainable DC plan. At the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Stacie focused on community impacts related to cycling, pedestrian and transportation projects.

Stacie is a longtime Washingtonian (of sorts). Her entire family – on both sides – has deep roots in Washington state. Her father was in the Army, so growing up she moved around quite a bit. She went to three different high schools, and lived everywhere from Alaska to Germany. Her childhood fostered two important characteristics. First, she has a phenomenal sense of direction. “I’m rarely lost,” said Stacie. “Having moved around my whole life, I get my bearings really quickly.” Second, she developed a passion of and appreciation for great parks and public spaces. “Moving around so much, I got to experience a ton of different, amazing parks,” said Stacie. “ Parks were a way for me to orient, connect, and familiarize myself with a new place.” Her favorite park is Bryant Park in New York City, because “you can have different experiences in the same place, and at once it feels both intimate and like you’re really part of a community.”

Stacie has a Masters of Community Planning from the University of Maryland, College Park. She lives on Capitol Hill and enjoys making pottery, hiking, and exploring wonderful parks. She often walks to work. Say hello on twitter @NoMaParksDC.