Greater Greater Washington: Check out what’s new with NoMa’s park plans

A lot of change is on the way in NoMa. Work on two underpasses is expected to finally begin this year while designs for a new Third Street park, and the search for a designer for the NoMa Green are underway. 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.

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. 

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

The NoMa Parks Foundation has selected the design concept for L Street, the second underpass to be transformed with light and art in the NoMa neighborhood. Future Cities Lab will create an undulating light structure, “Lightweave,” that will appear to float from the ceiling of the underpass. The installation will “peek out” onto L Street outside the underpass and beckon visitors to explore and enjoy the beautiful, transformed space. M.C. Dean will serve as contractor, with construction expected to begin in early 2016.

The NoMa Parks Foundation is committed to improving the lighting and overall user experience in all of NoMa’s underpasses. To that end, the Foundation has engaged Michael Vergason Landscape Architects to provide designs for “street furniture” and other ground-plane improvements.

“We very much look forward to your participation and input on this important public project,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, President of the NoMa Parks Foundation. “The NoMa Parks Foundation is extremely grateful for the high level of community participation in all of the parks projects advancing at this time. We thank the hundreds of people who have attended community meetings and submitted survey responses over the last several months.”

Community members are invited to meet the designers and construction team, learn more about the conceptual design and share their thoughts at the community meeting on Monday, July 13, from 6:30 to 8 PM in the Lobby Project, 1200 First Street, NE. This event is free and open to the public; RSVP here. For more information on the design and construction team, please click here.

The Foundation started the underpass project in April 2014, with an international design competition that received 248 responses. The goal of the project is to fill NoMa’s four rail underpasses, at L, M, K Streets and Florida Avenue with light and art, making them enjoyable east-west connections for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

A sound-sensitive art installation is coming to the L Street NE underpass, the NoMa Parks Foundation announced today. Read more. 

Plans are moving forward with the dramatic transformation of the M Street underpass into an illuminated passageway with light raining down from its ceiling. Attend a community meeting on Monday, April 27. Read more.