Category Archives: Recreation

DPR Riggs & South Dakota Park Initial Concept Design

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation
Initial Riggs & South Dakota Park concept plan presented by DPR

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.

Pathway options
Artistic walkway
Seating options

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.

May 20: Riggs & South Dakota Triangle Park Public Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

From DC Department of Parks & Recreation

Please join the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) for a community meeting to discuss the purposed improvements to the triangle park located at the intersection of Riggs Road NE & South Dakota Avenue NE.

Your attendance is greatly appreciated!

Meeting details:

Date:  Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Time:  6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Lamond Riggs Neighborhood Library- 5401 South Dakota Ave NE, Washington, DC 20011

Additional websites for the Riggs and South Dakota Triangle Park project.

For more information and to RSVP, please visit:

https://riggsandsouthdakota.splashthat.com/

To sign up for updates about this project, please visit

http://dpr.dc.gov/stakeholder

For more information about the project, please visit:

https://dgs.dc.gov/page/riggs-south-dakota-park1-0

Location Change: Tonight’s Community Park Meeting will be at Lamond-Riggs Library

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

Due to the potential for rain, DPR has changed the location for tonight’s meeting. Please see below for updated location.

From DPR

Please join the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) for a community meeting to discuss the future renovations to the green space at the intersection of Riggs Road NE and South Dakota Avenue NE. This meeting will be an opportunity to learn more about the project and discuss what you would like to see in the upcoming renovations.

Your attendance is greatly appreciated! 

Meeting details:

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Time:  6:00 p.m. –7:00 p.m.

NEW Location:  Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE (Children’s Room).  

September 24: Riggs Road & South Dakota Avenue Park Community Meeting (In Person)

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

From DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR)

Please join the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) for a community meeting to discuss the future renovations to the green space at the intersection of Riggs Road NE and South Dakota Avenue NE. This meeting will be an opportunity to learn more about the project and discuss what you would like to see in the upcoming renovations.

Your attendance is greatly appreciated! 

Meeting details:

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Time:  6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Location:  Intersection of Riggs Road NE and South Dakota Avenue NE

Additional websites for South Dakota Avenue

For more information and to RSVP, please visit:

https://riggsandsouthdakota.splashthat.com

For additional information about the project, please visit:

https://dgs.dc.gov/page/riggs-south-dakota-park-0

Riggs Road & South Dakota Avenue Park Update

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

The DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) gave an update on plans for a neighborhood park on the southwest corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE.

DPR Ward 5 Capital Project Update Presentation (August 2024)

I am going to call this more of a neighborhood green space because calling it a park evokes visions of a playground and vast amenities, which is not at all what is happening here. There is only $400,000 allocated for design and construction of this green space so it will be more like signage, landscaping, benches, that kind of thing (unless more funding comes).

The project website is https://dgs.dc.gov/page/riggs-south-dakota-park-0. I would say to ignore the design start date on the presentation slide shown above because it does not make sense and conflicts with what is on the project website:

Riggs & South Dakota Park

Project Details:

Address: Riggs Road & South Dakota, NE
Ward: 5
DPR Project Manager: Nick Kushner
DGS Project Manager: TBD
Project Status: Scope of Work Development
Design Start Date: Summer 2024
Design End Date: TBD
Project Delivery: Design-Build
Architect: TBD
General Contractor: TBD
Current Budget: $400k
Construction Start Date: TBD
Construction End Date: TBD
DGS Contact: Chellese Grove

I reached out to DPR to get a better understanding of the process for this green space. Here is what DPR stated.

There are two key phases in the design process:

1. Initial Community Input: Later this summer, DPR’s Community Planning team, led by Nick Kushner, will host a “Walk and Talk” in the park. This session will gather initial input from stakeholders . . . to help inform the design.

2. Design Kickoff: The actual design work begins once [DPR] hires a design team. This is anticipated to start in summer 2025, contingent on [DPR’s] collaboration with DDOT to either transfer the property or obtain the necessary permits. After the design team is on board, [DPR will] hold further meetings with the community to refine the concepts.  [DPR] do[es]n’t yet have a timeline for the DDOT coordination. 

    DPR also shared with me an overall project timeline that they made sure to say is tentative and subject to change based on permitting, weather, etc.

    • Late Summer 2024: DPR “Walk and Talk” – Stakeholder feedback session.
    • Late Summer 2025: Design process begins after the Landscape Architect is hired and DDOT approvals are in place.  Please note that this could possibly start sooner, but we like to err on the side of caution when it comes to projected timelines.
    • Fall/Winter 2025: Community meeting to refine the design.
    • Spring/Summer 2026: Construction begins.

    We have been writing about this space for a while now and the advocacy behind activating this green space. The tricky thing is that the space sits in DDOT’s portfolio given that it consists of the old right-of-way. DDOT does not want to give it up, for reasons. (Residents can see that it is currently serving as a construction staging area for the Riggs Crossing Senior Residences development project). DDOT has repeatedly stated (to me at least) that DPR will need to program the space through the public space permitting process, whereas DPR previously understood that the space would be transferred into DPR’s portfolio. I am hoping that we will not stay on this merry-go-round of dealing with the same question and that the right hand and left hand will really start working together. That will take leadership.

    Also complicating things a bit are expansion plans by Food & Friends and their curb cut project. More on that to come.