Long Bridge Park Plan Wins Smart Growth Award : Department of Parks and Recreation : Arlington, Virginia

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Department of Parks and Recreation

Long Bridge Park Plan Wins Smart Growth Award

Arlington County’s Plan to convert a county-owned brownfield site that formerly was home to a concrete company and junk yard into a new state of the art aquatics, health and fitness facility and park on the north end of Crystal City was identified as a “conservation priority” for the Washington region, according to a new report (PDF 1.5MB)on the local environment by the Bethesda-based Smart Growth Alliance.

“The 30-acre park will transform a regionally significant brownfield into a model of environmentally sound redevelopment and offer the area and the region high-quality urban recreation opportunities,” said Sam Black, president of the Smart Growth Alliance. “This is a perfect example of a conservation priority that needs public and private attention if it is to become an environmental asset for the region.”

"The vision for this project, which has been developed with input from many Arlington citizens, will transform land blighted by years of industrial use into a green oasis of useable and much needed park and recreation space,” said Toby Smith, chair of the North Tract Design Advisory Committee who is overseeing the project. “This redevelopment is one of the best gifts we can leave to future generations."

In order to implement the park plan, Arlington County is seeking to leverage public funds with private investment and re-energize the public support it received for the initial plans. Arlington officials say that preserving the property as public parkland is the largest recent effort to restore, preserve and interpret public open space along the urbanized Potomac and its tributaries.

“The development of the Long Bridge Park will reconnect the site visually and physically to the Potomac River and capitalize on its great potential to serve as a gateway between Arlington and the nation’s capital,” said Sam Black, president of the Smart Growth Alliance “This will become a new greenway near the Potomac shore, and a gathering place for the community.”

Long Bridge Park is one of six Conservation Priorities for 2008, identified by a panel of judges under the auspices of the Smart Growth Alliance. The goal of the Regional Conservation Priorities List is to promote conservation initiatives that contribute most to our future quality of life.

The Smart Growth Alliance’s programs seek to promote the overall sustainability of the region by encouraging smart growth alternatives such as compact and infill development that can be more affordable for citizens in the short term and more sustainable over the long term. Because the Alliance is made up of real estate, business, environmental, and affordable housing organizations, this independent support signifies not only that these initiatives are critical to our region’s natural heritage and working landscapes, but they will also attract thriving businesses and enhance job creation and retention.

For more information on these initiatives, visit the Smart Growth Alliance website.

Department of Parks and Recreation

LONG BRIDGE PARK