Gunston Park

Gunston Park playground and picnic area to get $1.2m renovation

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

The playground at Gunston Park is expected to be replaced starting late next year as part of a $1.2 million renovation project.

Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation has released two concept designs for the park, located at 1401 28th Street S., near Gunston Middle School. Residents can provide feedback on these designs online through Thursday, Oct. 19.

The impetus for the work is that the park’s playground area “has reached the end of its useful life” and all play equipment — as well as site furnishings and a picnic shelter — have to be removed, parks department spokesman Adam Segel-Moss explains in a video.

“This Parks Maintenance Capital project will include demolition, site work, and design and construction of a new playground and picnic shelter,” the county says on a project webpage. “This project will also address grading and drainage, site circulation, site furnishings, landscaping, and stormwater concerns.”

No new amenities are planned for the Capital Improvement Plan-funded project, the county adds.

The new playground will be in the northwest portion of park, next to a parking lot, diamond field and basketball court. Segel-Moss says DPR last heard from residents in February 2022 about what the new playground should look like.

“There was an overwhelming desire for new, soft and resilient playground surfacing within play areas,” he said.

People also requested more seating areas, trash cans, slides, swings and climbing structures and fencing, with separated play areas for the 2-5 and 5-12 age groups, he noted.

DPR will focus on improving accessibility for people with disabilities, catering to different age groups and making other upgrades, while overcoming “inherent limitations,” such as space constraints, tree preservation and drainage issues, Segel-Moss said.

“We have several other exciting prospects, such as creating spaces for different age groups, improving the picnic area and seating, enhancing the park’s visual appeal through enhanced plantings and addressing stormwater erosion issues,” he said.

The parks department has narrowed down these ideas to two concept designs.

The first concept for the new Gunston Park playground (via Arlington County)

The two share many of the same features, including new fencing, stroller parking and seating areas.

Some differences include the addition of sculptural benches in the first concept and, in the second concept, a “smaller but greater variety of play structures and a larger connected looping pathway,” Segel-Moss explains.

The second concept for the new Gunston Park playground (via Arlington County)

Although they are illustrative only, Segel-Moss also showed pictures of what the new play equipment and picnic shelters could look like.

The first shows hexagonal play structures for 2-5 and 5-12 year olds, swings, a pergola-style picnic area and sculptural benches.

Play equipment and site furnishing examples for Concept 1 (via Arlington County)

The second illustrates the addition of a climbing area for older children to other kinds of play equipment as well as a different style of picnic shelter.

Play equipment and site furnishing examples for Concept 2 (via Arlington County)

The questionnaire is open for two weeks and a final draft concept will be prepared for feedback this winter.

The Arlington County Board could review a contract in the fall of 2024 and, if the contract is approved, construction could begin that winter, ending in the fall of 2025.

Previous park renovations include converting the diamond field from grass to synthetic turf.

Gold’s Gym on S. Glebe Road replaced by LA Fitness

By Matt Blitz
New LA Fitness on S. Glebe Road (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new LA Fitness has replaced the shuttered Gold’s Gym on S. Glebe Road.

The Gold’s Gym at 2955 S. Glebe Road, at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center near Gunston Middle School, closed mid-last month, an employee confirmed to ARLnow. Within a few days, though, it was converted it was into an LA Fitness — including a banner announcing its presence — and reopened.

A number of employees were kept on as well as much of the equipment, providing gym-goers with a similar experience as before.

It’s unclear exactly why this Gold’s Gym was closed and converted into LA Fitness. ARLnow has reached out to both companies but has yet to hear back from either as of publication.

In 2020, Gold’s Gym filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by the European fitness operator RSG Group for $100 million.

The closing of the Gold’s Gym on S. Glebe Road leaves the company with three gyms remaining in Arlington. That includes Rosslyn, Clarendon, and Ballston, the site of a parking lot scuffle late last year that ended with D.C.’s deputy mayor resigning from his post. The Gold’s Gym in Courthouse closed in 2019.

As for LA Fitness, exactly a mile from the new S. Glebe Road location is another LA Fitness gym on S. Clark Street in Crystal City. There was also an LA Fitness in Pentagon City until that one closed in 2015.

Elsewhere, another gym is set to open in Clarendon later this year. Life Time, which dubs itself a “luxurious athletic country club,” is expected to start welcoming gym-goers within the next few months in The Crossing Clarendon development.

Another $140,000 is needed for Gunston Bubble project due to ‘unsuitable soil conditions’

By Matt Blitz
Gunston Bubble, deflated (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

The Arlington County Board is likely to vote this weekend on providing another $140,000 to fix the Gunston sports “bubble” due to issues related to the soil beneath the structure.

Renovations started last year on the Gunston Bubble, the covered, all-season county synthetic athletic field at Gunston Park behind the middle school of the same name. The two-decade-old bubble had reached “the end of its useful lifespan,” reads a county report, and needed to “be constantly monitored and inflated.”

During the summer, the bubble would sometimes get overly hot while, in the winter, snow would build up on top. Both situations were considered hazardous enough that the bubble would have to close on numerous occasions.

Work on the bubble began last year with the renovation project calling for a new frame-supported fabric structure that would make the bubble functional in any weather. Plus, ceiling fans, vents, and LED light fixtures will make it more “more energy efficient and reliable.”

The project was initially set to cost $867,000 and be completed in the second quarter of this year.

But issues arose almost immediately after work began in January, notes a County Board agenda report, due to the soil.

“Upon commencement of the work, the Contractor encountered unsuitable soil conditions that were not known at the time of design and need to be remediated, for proper installation of the building footings. Based on recommendations from the County third-party Geotechnical Contractor, Hillis Carnes, a series of additional undercuts are required to remove the unsuitable soil and bring in new material for the base foundation. This work is critical to ensure the structural stability of the new fabric structure.”

To complete the needed work, contractors IMEC Group, LLC are requesting an additional $140,000.

At the meeting this Saturday, the County Board is likely to vote on if it will allow for an amendment to the original contract that authorizes this extra money.

County officials that if the $140,000 is approved, the Gunston Bubble renovations should be completed later this year.

“We are excited to be updating the Gunston Bubble so that it will be able to support our community year-round with a strong frame structure to keep it open in the winter, and enhanced ventilation to make it more comfortable in the summer,” a county spokesperson tells ARLnow. “We noticed issues in the soil in January and are mitigating the issues. The work will cost us a bit more than expected and will delay the project.  We should have it all ready no later than early fall or sooner. When complete this will be a much better indoor experience than before.”

The bubble isn’t the only thing at Gunston Middle School that is set to being renovated. Earlier this month, the Arlington School Board approved $1.6 million in safety upgrades to the entrance of the school. The work includes moving the main school entrance and office closer to S. Lang Street. That project is expected to start in June and be complete by mid-August, right before the start of the new school year.

County seeks input on improvements to 28th Street S. near Gunston Park

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

This week, locals can share their thoughts on a county project to make a segment of 28th Street S. near Gunston Park more walkable.

The proposed “Neighborhood Complete Streets” project aims to improve the existing sidewalk, curb ramps and transit stops between S. Meade Street and 26th Street S., near Gunston Middle School and the nearby community center, park and playing field space.

“The improvements seek to provide more comfortable, accessible pedestrian crossings and transit stops that will narrow the roadway and shorten the crossing distances,” according to the county.

Specifically, the county plans to install curb extensions and ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act to increase access to and shorten pedestrian crossing distances. It will add pavement markings and signage to make pedestrian crossings more visible to motorists.

Folks can provide feedback on the project, still in a preliminary design phase, through this Sunday. The survey asks respondents if the proposed changes would make them feel safer walking, taking public transit, biking, scooting or driving along 28th Street S.

“This feedback will help inform a final design, prioritizing feasibility, safety and available funding,” the county survey says.

The county Neighborhood Complete Streets program, funded through the County’s Capital Improvement Plan, aims to make physical improvements that address safety and access problems on non-arterial streets. At this stage, estimated project costs aren’t known. After the public engagement period for this project ends, it will go to the Neighborhood Complete Streets Commission for approval.

Then, it will advance to the Arlington County Board for approval, kicking off a more detailed design phase.

Meanwhile, renovations to the Gunston Bubble, which houses a year-round synthetic turf field, are scheduled to be completed soon, according to the county. The county embarked on energy efficiency and reliability upgrades to the “bubble” last summer.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pentagon City Suspect Charged With Murder — “Taya Ashton, 20, was found shot to death at an apartment in the 2300 block of Brooks Drive in Suitland on Saturday night, Prince George’s County police said. A day after her slaying, Arlington County police arrested DeAllen Price, of District Heights, for running from officers and going on the Metro tracks at the Pentagon City station, police said… Metro Transit Police and a K9 officer searched the tracks and found a weapon they later linked to Ashton’s murder, police said.” [NBC 4]

Gunston Bubble Going Bye-Bye — “The iconic, yet temperamental, sports ‘bubble’ adjacent to Gunston Middle School will soon be replaced by a barn-like framed structure that will provide more reliability and accessibility, Arlington government officials said. County Board members have approved a contract worth up to $866,800 for installation of the new Clear Span frame-supported fabric structure, which had been purchased previously.” [Sun Gazette]

WeWork, WeLive No Longer Together — “WeWork has washed its hands of WeLive, the co-living brand it launched a half-decade ago with grand aspirations. WeWork handed over management of the two WeLive locations, in Northern Virginia’s Crystal City neighborhood and on Wall Street in Manhattan, to the owners of the buildings, JBG Smith and Rudin Management, a WeWork spokesperson confirmed to Bisnow Wednesday.” [Bisnow]

Cunningham Tapped as AHC’s Interim CEO — “The affordable-housing provider AHC Inc. has tapped Arlington civic leader [and former Arlington County Board candidate] Susan Cunningham as its interim CEO. Cunningham will bridge the gap left by the departure of long-term organization leader Walter Webdale.” [Sun Gazette]

Interview with APS DEI Chief — “We sat down with Arlington Public Schools Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Arron Gregory to talk about the importance of roles like his in schools… How is the school system’s success in these matters ultimately measured? ‘… if we’re unable to predict student success by identities, such as race, class, gender, socioeconomic status, then we’ve achieved educational equity, but if we’re able to predict those outcomes, then there’s work that still needs to happen.'” [WJLA]

Editorial Lauds Lee Highway Renaming — “The symbolism that attends the struggle for racial justice and recognition could hardly be better served than by paying tribute, as the newly named roadway does, to John M. Langston, a man who, in the words of his biographer, ‘was Obama before Obama.’ A century and a half before, as it happens.” [Washington Post]

County to Renovate Gunston Bubble Next Year

By Kalina Newman
1/2

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Arlington County has kicked off the renovation project for Gunston Park‘s “bubble.”

Officials have started the design phase of the Gunston Bubble Renovation Project, with the goal of eventually having a more “energy efficient and reliable” facility. The project is expected to start construction in the second quarter of 2020 and be completed by the third quarter, in time for next winter season.

The bubble is an all-weather, heated and covered athletic field that Arlington County describes as “a unique indoor turf facility available to rent for sports training and parties.”

“A lot has changed in building technology since the old bubble was completed,” said project architect Aaron Wohler. “The existing bubble structure is air-supported and needs to be constantly monitored and inflated. It gets hot during the summer, so much so that we limit summer hours.”

The new structure will be frame-supported, according to Wohler, with LED lighting and ceiling fans, windows, vents, and doors available to keep it cool during the hotter months.

Funding for the $1.3 million project was included in the county’s most recent Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). About $1 million will come from bonds.

The county will host an open house at the Gunston Community Center for community members to learn more about the project on Thursday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m.

New Gunston Park Field Open this Saturday with Games, Food

By Airey
1/3

The new baseball diamond in Gunston Park will open this weekend with a game and food-filled celebration.

Officials from the Department of Parks and Recreation will open the sports field at 1401 28th Street S. this Saturday, September 14 at 11 a.m. and are inviting families to attend the free event.

“Youth baseball games will be held before and after the ribbon cutting,” officials wrote in a press release about the event. “Food trucks will be on site selling delicious tacos and ice cream!”

The old natural turf field were replaced by a controversial, artificial turf that officials hope will allows players to use the field later in the winter season and be more accessible for all players.

The overhaul cost $370,000, split between a $180,000 grant from the private nonprofit Arlington Sports Foundation and $190,000 from the county’s sports commission’s Diamond Field Fund after years of discussions.

The costs were in addition to the $1.4 million approved by the Arlington County Board in 2014 to make several other changes, including: replacing the dugout and batting cage, and adding stormwater drainage as well as ADA-compliant paths to the diamond.

Images 1, 2 via Arlington County

Gunston Park Baseball Field to Get Synthetic Turf

By Chris Teale

The diamond athletic field at Gunston Park will be converted from natural grass to synthetic turf after the Arlington County Board approved a $370,000 plan Tuesday night.

The nonprofit Arlington Sports Foundation offered a grant of $180,000 to convert the field, and the county sports commission’s Diamond Field Fund will pay the additional $190,000. The project is on top of a previously-approved $1.4 million maintenance and improvement plan at the park.

It is estimated the new field will add nearly 880 new possible playing hours per year, at a time when there is high demand for athletic fields in the county.

“Both the number of people playing sports in Arlington, and the hours our fields are in use continue to grow. We need creative solutions to meet the demand,” said County Board chair Jay Fisette. “Kudos to the Arlington Sports Foundation and the sports community for helping fund the conversion of Gunston’s field and expand its community use without increasing taxpayer support.”

Before the board’s unanimous approval of the project, there had been questions raised about the safety of the synthetic turf, which will be made from EPDM rubber. Local resident Kelly Alexis asked that a natural ingredient like coconut husks be used instead, and cited previous concerns about the health risks of playing on turf, especially that made up of crumb rubber.

Board vice chair Katie Cristol and others said the health of children is something Arlington takes “incredibly seriously,” and asserted that the health risks of EPDM are minimal.

Several members of the county’s sports community testified in favor of the conversion. Arlington Little League president Adam Balutis said the new turf means more games can be played and not be canceled or postponed due to the weather.

“Everybody would love to have natural, beautiful green fields that we could upkeep all year round and play and play and play, but it’s not possible in Arlington County because we don’t have enough space,” said Daniel Lopez, vice president of the board of the Arlington Soccer Association. “So the next best thing is we try to turf these fields so everybody can use them and everybody can enjoy them.”

Board members said that the funding model for the new turf field is something that could be repeated elsewhere, especially if community members are willing to help fundraise.

“We know in today’s tight funding times that the government is not going to be able to do it all and will rely increasingly on the generosity of the folks in our community,” said John Vihstadt.

“I think we’ve maybe got a new model,” said Board member Libby Garvey.