Penrose Square

Penrose Square is the first and largest of three squares planned within the Columbia Pike Town Center area. Sitting at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street, the public square is part of the County’s ongoing effort to revitalize the Columbia Pike corridor. Phase I, approximately 17,000-square-feet in size, was completed in November 2012, and includes features that incorporate elements of Arlington’s vision of sustainability. Phase II will continue the build-out of these features and allow for flexible program space. Street and sidewalk improvements adjacent to the square were completed in 2010 with the Penrose Square development project.

Project Details

• Location: 2503 Columbia Pike (in front of the new Penrose Square Development)
• Funding: PAY-AS-YOU-GO Capital Funds and General Obligation Bond Funds
• Status: Completed in November 2012. See the ribbon-cutting ceremony here.
• Additional work: A Phase II expansion of the square is planned when the adjacent site redevelops, which will almost double the size of the current square.

Completed Improvements

• “Echo,” two-piece sculpture by Richard Deutsch
• A tree-covered upper terrace with movable tables and chairs
• An inner plaza with an interactive water feature
• Small gardens interspersed in the plaza, designed to provide seasonal colors
• Mounded lawn areas for casual seating
• Sustainable use of water:
  • Bio-filtration system underneath the tree terrace to filter storm water runoff and enhance tree root growth
  • Water recirculation system that allows the water feature to conserve the use of water at the site

Related Information

• Penrose Park