Arlington and Alexandria Exploring Fitness Facility Partnership

IMAGE: Original rendering of Long Bridge Park aquatics center, originally budgeted at nearly $80 million; Arlington County put project on hold when bids came in too high.

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Arlington County and the City of Alexandria plan to ask their residents if their governments should explore the possibility of a partnership to develop an aquatics, health and fitness facility at Long Bridge Park in Crystal City to meet the recreation interests of both communities, according to a news release from Arlington County.

“If the synergy is there, and both communities are interested, we will explore this further,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hughes Hynes. “Partnerships are just one of the many creative ways we are approaching the development of our facilities and programs.”

The project, budgeted at nearly $80 million by Arlington County, was put on hold after bids came in significantly higher, according to a story in The Washington Post.

Arlington voters have approved $42.5 million in bonds to be used for the park’s second phase, and the county’s biggest taxpayer, developer Vornado/Charles E. Smith, donated $15 million for the facility.

The annual operating cost of the facility was estimated at $3.8 million.

Both jurisdictions to survey their residents

Both jurisdictions will survey residents as part of needs assessments for their respective park and recreation systems. Alexandria is asking residents this summer about their interest in collaborating with Arlington to develop an aquatics, health and fitness facility at Long Bridge Park. Arlington will do the same this fall as part of its community discussions to update its Public Spaces Master Plan.

A question included in the Alexandria survey asks about community interest in “a proposal to partner with Arlington County on development of a 50-meter pool at Long Bridge Park. This would be done instead of the expansion of the facility at Chinquapin Park.”

Arlington’s fall survey will ask a similar question. If both communities show an interest, the next step will be to consider cost and operational questions, and report to respective leadership.

Arlington Board interested in partners for Long Bridge Park

In March, the Arlington County Board asked the County Manager to seek broad public input to review Phase 2 of the 2013 Long Bridge Park Master Plan. The fall survey will be the Department of Parks and Recreation’s broadest outreach effort. Phase 2 includes the aquatics, health and fitness facility; 10 acres of parkland; continuation of the esplanade; and more environmental remediation. The County Board further instructed the County Manager to continue to seek partners for the project.

Park improvements continue

Meanwhile, the County continues to improve Long Bridge Park. The County Board voted unanimously in June to begin construction of playgrounds on three lawn areas at the south end of Long Bridge Park between 6th Street South and the sports fields. The $1.082 million contract — including $90,000 for contingencies — will provide play equipment for children ranging in age from two to 12 years.

Children helped design the new playgrounds, which will include a cooling “fog” system, sculpted play forms, a tunnel, bridges, a shade structure covering the pre-school area, accessible paths, benches and fencing. The playgrounds complete the southern portion of the park with a much-needed, family-friendly amenity; these should open in the third quarter of 2016.

Background

Long Bridge Park is an approximately 30-acre park in Crystal City, overlooking the Potomac River. Close to 10,000 people celebrated July 4 at the park this year. Long Bridge, once a brownfield and industrial wasteland, is now a sustainable park that offers stunning views of the Capital monuments, together with three full-size, multi-sport, lighted, rectangular synthetic-turf fields (home of Marymount University soccer and lacrosse teams); a network of walkways with an esplanade; and a striking public art feature, Wave Arbor.