RA Celebrates Completion Of Hook Road Ballfield Improvements

RESTON, VA — Reston Association leaders, community officials, and local families gathered Saturday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Hook Road Recreation Area ballfields, celebrating the end of a "labor of love" to modernize the facility.

The event marked the completion of a renovation project that included a year of construction and nearly a decade of planning. The project focused on enhancing park amenities, improving accessibility, and upgrading field quality to create what Tim Jones, president of Reston Herndon Little League, described as "a really great space for the youth and the families".

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The Hook Road site was originally selected for a "full facility enhancement" in 2017. It was chosen from 10 potential locations because of its comprehensive list of existing amenities and its schedule of upcoming capital projects.

To guide the improvements, the RA Board of Directors formed the Hook Road Working Group, a 16-member body consisting of residents, sports team representatives, and advisory committee members. In partnership with the design firm Dewberry, the group spent a year developing a master plan based on public roundtable discussions and surveys of more than 700 households.

A primary goal of the renovation was to address safety concerns. "We did our best to move the back stops further away from the road on both sides of the park for safety improvements," said RA acting CEO Peter Lusk said.

RA Board Member John Farrell (At-Large), who coached his four children on the fields, noted that previously he "had no time to pay attention to the game" because he was constantly ensuring children did not wander into Fairway Drive. "That's not going to happen now," he said.

Additional upgrades at the park include:

• Field Improvements: The project featured sod improvements and a redesign of the fields to move them further from the street.
• New Amenities: The site now includes new concrete work, a water fountain, and a set of bleachers for spectators.
• Spectator Areas: The park features hardscape spectator areas and high-quality seating for both players and fans.

Travis Johnson, president of the RA Board of Directors, thanked the "parents who bring their kids out here every weekend" and credited Director Farrell for "pushing for this project."

Following the ceremony, two "Nationals" youth teams played a "Double A" division game on the newly refurbished field.

The Hook Road Working Group’s master plan prioritized traffic calming and ballfield enhancements as the top two objectives.

Future phases of the plan remain in development. Farrell noted that in approximately 18 months, "We're going to have restrooms with flush toilets up behind the pine trees." Other planned improvements include a ring path and a natural playscape.