Advocating for $400,000 to Complete Phase II

Click below to view Project Manager, Felicia Couts', testimony requesting the second phase funding before Councilmember Mary Cheh's Committee on Transportation and the Environment on May 1, 2015. There is a Q&A and discussion period afterwards, so watch until the end!

Thank YOU for Your Hard Work!

We picked up trash and twigs, we dug, we sweated, we mulched, we planted!

Help Beautify the Park on April 18th for EARTH DAY!

Bring the children, gloves, rakes, shovels, and gardening tools and let's beautify the open park spaces for Earth Day!

We'll start at 9:30 am and go until we run out of steam! We'll provide flowers/bulbs, garbage bags, and refreshments. Please tell a friend and join us!

For more information, email: swplaygroundproject@gmail.com.

Safety Fencing Is Here!

You asked for it, you got it! DC Parks and Recreation, working with the DC Department of General Services, installed new safety fencing at the 3rd and I Street Playground yesterday. Now our parents can feel safer as their toddlers roam about exploring all of the exciting wonders at the playground.

Special thanks also to Councilmember Charles Allen for helping push for the fencing to happen sooner than later!

Park is Clean and the Swing's Back Up!

We would like to report that broken swing has been fixed and is ready for play! Neighbors, please encourage our children to treat the swings as intended to help preserve their longevity and to save us on costs.

The SW Playground Project has several park clean ups planned for 2015. However, to our great pleasure, the park has remained clean since our last clean up in November. Therefore, coupled with the recent drop in temperatures, we have decided to cancel the previously-scheduled park clean up for January 10th. Please review our Calendar for updates, and thank you for your continued support!

November 15th Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

True to grassroots fashion, members of the SW Playground Project held a park clean up on November 15th before being joined by Ward 6 Councilmember-Elect, Charles Allen, and several playground donors, including Mandarin Oriental Hotel, to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the new 3rd and I Street Playground!

October 4th @ 9:30 AM - 1st Community Clean Up Day

Parents and children are encouraged to come out for a "Meet & Greet" followed by a park clean up effort to help keep our new park beautiful! Bring your brooms, gloves, and a leaf-blower, if you have one -- we'll provide trash bags and refreshments!

New 3rd & I Street Park and Playground Opens!

3rd and I Street Park BEFORE AND AFTER

After only a few short weeks, Phase I of the 3rd and I Street Library Park improvement is now complete! On Tuesday, August 19th, the construction fencing came down, and immediately, residents from the entire surrounding neighborhood began to enjoy the park's new playground addition. A true testament to how something so relatively small can make a huge impact on our community! Already, play-dates have begun, neighbors are meeting each other, the number of patrons at the library is increasing, and a stronger community is being built! Truly, this is the community's gift to itself.

The Southwest Playground Project, with the support of the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC) thanks everyone who helped to make this beautiful park a reality! We will keep the community informed of the planned ribbon-cutting date. Finally, although we will have regular clean-up dates, we encourage everyone to please help to keep our park clean and trash-free.

Construction Begins at 3rd and I Street Library Park!

After almost four years, construction fencing appeared around the 3rd and I Street, SW Library Park on Monday, June 30th. DGS certified contractor, HRGM, began tree removal and pruning as part of Phase I of a two-phase project.

The first phase will focus primarily on the center berm and will include:

Tree pruning and removal;
Grading;
Installation of 2 feet high retainer walls along the center berm area;
Installation of fencing along I Street and the diagonal corners of Wesley Place and 3rd leading inside the park;
Installation of Game Time playground equipment for ages 2-5 (Butterfly, slide, mushrooms, spinning leaves);
Installation of soft surfacing;
Installation of a swing set one bucket, one ADA, and two belts); and
Utilities work, including relocation of a light

The completion of this phase should take approximately 8 weeks, so hopefully, we can begin to use the park again before summer's totally over!

Below is a layout of the final play equipment from Game Time:

Phase II will include storm water retention, remainder of retention walls, and repaving and scoring of the concrete. This second phase will require additional funding in the amount of $270,000. We do not have this money, and it was not placed in the 2015 budget(but continue to have our work cut out for us.)

On behalf of the CBCC, we want to express our sincere appreciation for everyone's encouragement, sharing of skills and abilities, and for simply "sticking it out" without complaint after all these years! We will continue to keep everyone updated as the work progresses. Thank you all!

2/19/14 Project Manager Testifies at DPR Oversight Hearing to Request Add'l Funding

ANC6D Gives Full Support to SW Playground Project!

The improvements and playground to the 3rd and I Street Library Park will be built by the end of this year (if not sooner)!  It's been a long time coming, but thank you each for your support and sticking in there.  Imagine, a wonderful meeting place with children playing, skipping, laughing and playing hide and seek as you sip on a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, or meet with a neighbor or friend.  It's just a few short months around the corner! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

Final Plan Presentation to ANC6D March 11th @ 7 PM!

It's  been a long-time coming, but please join in support as the Southwest Playground Project and DC Parks and Recreation present the FINAL plans to our ANC6D for approval.  Once approved, we can begin!

When:   March 11, 2013
Where: 200 I Street, SE - North end of Canal Park
Time:    7:00 pm

See you there!

Mark Your Calendars for the Monthly Meeting!

When:     December 15, 2012
Time:      10:30 am to 11:30 am
Where:   SW Library SOW Room (basement)

Please plan to attend and bring a neighbor!

Important Change: Community Meeting Rescheduled to August 18th!

Please join us on Saturday, August 18th for a community meeting where we will share the latest design for the playground! All are welcome -- adults and children!

Westminster Presbyterian Church

400 I Street, SW

11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Light Refreshments Served

In preparation, please have a look at the DRAFT playground plan (click on photo below to view full size schematic) which will be discussed at the meeting.  

Library Cleanup!!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to help clean up the Library Park on 3rd and I Streets, SW on Saturday, May 26. All in all, we put in approximately 45 community volunteer hours -- mowing the grass, stacking broken limbs for the City to pick up, picking up litter and broken glass, removing plastic, cutting down overgrown shrubs/weeds, clearing the drain inlets, and tidying up the park in general.

Everyone seemed to have a great time working together and meeting fellow neighbors. The best part of the day was seeing so many of the neighborhood children lending a helping hand!

Special thanks, as always, to the CBCC for their support.

Project Manager Felicia Couts wins Spirit Award

Southwest Playground Project Manager Felicia Couts was presented with the Nationals Spirit Award on April 19, 2012 for her extraordinary commitment to building a safe, inviting place for the children of Southwest DC to play together. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Southwest Playground Project thus far.

Playground Project Update

We are making great strides towards completing the playground. Please join us this Saturday 2/25 at the Southwest Library upstairs from 1-2 pm for updates on the playground project.

Playground Charrette This Saturday

Please join us for a community meeting this Saturday to have your voice heard regarding the new SWDC playground!

Date: Saturday, December 10
Time: 10:00 —11:30 am

Location:
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church
600 M Street SW (downstairs)

You are invited to participate in a community planning charrette for the SW Playground Project to provide input on important decisions regarding the playground to be installed next to the SW Library this coming Spring 2012.

We will be providing childcare for children over the age of 3.

With almost $130,000 raised, this project is in the final stretch and we sincerely hope you will be able to participate in this important planning event to ensure that the Southwest Playground Project meets the desires and expectations of the community.

Vote for SWPP to win $25,000 with Pepsi Refresh!!

SWPP is a finalist for a $25,000 Pepsi Refresh grant.  If we were to win this grant, with the money we've already raised and the upcoming FANtastic march, already boasting over $33,000 raised, we'll be well on our way to accomplishing our fundraising goals!  We just need your help!  Here's where you come in:

Vote for us once a day, EVERY day, now through September 30th and don't forget to share the link by e-mail, on facebook, and twitter to get your friends involved too! (I promise, it only takes a minute)
http://www.refresheverything.com/southwestplaygroundproject

Oh, and if you're a Pepsi products drinker, choose specially-marked packages of Pepsi with "Power Votes" on the bottle cap and if you use the code printed inside your bottle cap you can boost your vote by up to 100 extra votes!

Thank you Safeway!!!

The SWPP has received a generous $5,000 grant from Safeway! Thanks to this grant, Station 4's opening night donation, and the generosity of our individual donors we're on our way to reaching our goal!