On May 20, 2025, DC’s Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) with their design-build contractor presented an initial concept design for the planned Riggs & South Dakota Park at the southeast southwest corner of Riggs Road & South Dakota Avenue NE.

See DPR Riggs & South Dakota Park Community Presentation (May 2025).

Initial Concept Design

The simple design consists of a 6-foot path between the row of trees where the slip lane used to be with four nodes of seating along the path. They presented a few different options for the path as well as for seating. They said more of an artsy walkway driven by the community could also be an option. There will be trash and recycling receptacles placed somewhere on the site.

The team acknowledged receiving more robust concept renderings produced as part of a collaboration between the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association and EYA (EYA concept renderings). The team said they are starting with a simple walkway because people cut through the space as a shortcut to get from South Dakota to Riggs. They also said the extensive tree root system from the large mature trees on the site limits where they can excavate and build.

The design is underwhelming and it probably has more to do with the budget than anything else. The budget for the 1.5-acre site is only $337,000, the same amount as the 0.14-acre 19th & L Street NE site that will be transformed into a playground in Trinidad Carver-Langston. Even the examples of previously developed park spaces included in the presentation were of park spaces much smaller in size.

By way of contrast, the similarly sized 1.8 acre Cobb Park that DPR is developing in Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood has a budget of $2 million. The concept plan for that park space is more robust.

Give Feedback

It is not too late to submit written testimony to ask for more funding. Submit testimony to the Council Committee on Facilities chaired by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George by 5:30 pm on June 19, 2025.

Residents can also share feedback on the design with DPR outreach specialist Rasheed Jibreel at rasheed.jibreel@dc.gov.

I shared what I heard from residents at the meeting. We know a playground cannot go in this space. A dog park is supposed to be part of the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten (unclear when that will get built). So at a minimum, it would be great for this park space to have the following:

• A winding path so that people can wander or get their steps in if they so choose. I don’t think it is advisable to have a cobblestone for the winding path.
• Curvy planting bed areas on the corner of the park space at South Dakota & Riggs so that that area can be used for native planting and a “Riggs Park” neighborhood sign.
• A few other curvy planting bed areas scattered around the perimeter of the park site to help control storm runoff (particularly on the downgrade portion near the sidewalk on South Dakota Avenue) and provide some visual interest.
• Design/planting for the treebox spaces surrounding the park space given that District government does not maintain those tree box spaces well at all.
• A water fountain to fill bottles.
• A water source with a hose bib so that residents can help take care of the plantings.
• Black Washington globe lights in the park for lighting.
• I know people have talked about public art, but that can probably be dealt with later depending on what people are thinking about.

I also think DPR’s process and communication could be a bit better. I think this project has suffered in part because of a change in project managers mid-stream and in part because of a lack of communication between DPR, DDOT, and the DC Council. For a while now, for whatever reason, the right hand did not know what the left hand was doing. Also, DPR was not able to have a site walkthrough with the community because of rain. DPR did not put out a survey to get input and had just one initial meeting with residents on September 24, 2024, at the Lamond-Riggs Library before taking months to then present this pretty underwhelming concept plan on May 20, 2025. 

DPR is in the process of refining plans now. It is worth taking some time to share feedback with DPR and to let the council know that $337,000 for 1.5 acres is simply not enough.