Franklin Park revitalization will break ground in spring of 2019

In June 2017, D.C. Delegate to Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton told the Washington Post, “Frankly, it is an embarrassment to the city.” This quote was in reference to Franklin Park, Downtown D.C.’s largest park, measuring nearly five acres. Washingtonian has also joined in on criticizing the public green space, saying that it “stinks,” especially due to a limited amount of street-level retail nearby. There have been plans to revitalize Franklin Park for more than five years now, and now it looks like the project is finally advancing toward the bid stage.

According to Washington Business Journal, the D.C. Department of General Services announced that it has awarded design and engineering contracts to Studios Architecture and Land Collective for the park’s renovation. Groundbreaking is slated for the spring of 2019 with $13.8 million set aside for the project.

Once complete, the brand new Franklin Park will include a small cafe, better seating, an interactive water feature, new trees, and a playground.

• Two architecture firms hired to advance Franklin Park project [Washington Business Journal]