Today, Council Member Thomas’ office notified me of the progress being made on the renovations of the Florida Avenue and First St. Park. The park may be under renovation as early as July through October of 2011. Some neighbors from Bloomingdale and one member of the BACA Board have expressed concerns about the park being closed and not accessible for community use during the summer.
I support the project moving forward and closing the park during the summer, as summer is our peak crime season and the park is a key contributor to some of the crime in our area. I also support the neighbors that wish to host activities at the park. I think that with the closing of the park, we can all come together to work on a strategic plan on how the community at large (BACA, Bloomingdale and Eckington) can develop a activity schedule that may include different type of arts, movies, sports and community programs for all ages and cultures.
There will be an opportunity for a community meeting to discuss the design and provide input to the final design. I will ensure that all our communities are included in the dialogue.
Email from DPR to Geovani A. Bonilla
This is the sum From: Stanley, Jackie (DPR) [mailto:jackie.stanley@dc.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 3:51 PM
To: gbonilla@hospicemanagement.com; Christine Leake
Cc: john.salatti@gmail.com; Schultz, Derek (DPR); Teri Janine Quinn; Thomas, Harry (COUNCIL); Lonna Hooks; Bradley Thomas; Brett Abrams; Jon Hasse; Margaret Stevens; Maryann Wilmer; Miles Holloman; Tracina Leake; Hugh Youngblood; Stokes, John (DPR); Solberg, Andrew (MPD); Thomas, Carl D. (EOM); Thomas, Bradley (ANC 5C01); 5c03.services@gmail.com; daphne.geraghty@gmail.com; asrobinson@mindspring.com; nuttan@gmail.com; Gaither, Johnny (DPW); Nicole A Johnson; Scott Roberts
Subject: RE: Florida Avenue Park Maintenance and Public Safety Concerns and update on renovations
Good Afternoon Mr. Bonilla,
I would like to clarify the information you received related to the Florida Ave Park Project.
Renovations (construction) are not scheduled to begin July 9, 2011 at FloridaAvePark.
July 9th is the date that the selected contractors’ proposal will be deemed approved, considering that there are no existing Resolutions of Disapproval.
As indicated in previous e-mail updates all contracts exceeding $1M must be reviewed and approved by the City Council. The selected contractors’ proposal was recently forwarded to the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs for their review and approval. The approval period expires July 9th.
Once the contract is approved a detailed project schedule will be developed and shared with the community. Our goal is to have a DPR sponsored community meeting with the selected contractor by the end of the month.
Thank you,
Jackie Stanley
DPR Capital Project Coordinator
Bates Area Civic Association 