In response to the Department of Parks and Recreation’s call for comments on its Ready2Play DPR Master Plan, Councilmember Nadeau offered comments on Ward 1 spaces where she would like to see changes or improvements:
- Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, an iconic and historic park that lacks the proper amenities or resources for maintenance it needs. Councilmember Nadeau recommends the District negotiate to take control or partner with the National Park Service for maintenance and improvements, as it is planning for other spaces, like Rabaut Park in Ward 1.
- Armed Forces Retirement Home – Zones B and C, which could be added to adjacent portions of the site where DPR is requesting partnership and the potential for new parks.
- Defining and Categorizing Plazas as its own class of asset, to better leverage these unique spaces that are more integrated into their urban surroundings.
- Including housing in DPR facilities. Similar to the future redevelopment of the Chevy Chase Community Center, which will have housing built on the site, DPR should work to incorporate housing into its other spaces. Councilmember Nadeau is advocating for housing above a new Rita Bright Recreation Center in Ward 1, the modernization of which is funded in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
Below is the Councilmember’s full letter to DPR Director Delano Hunter with her recommendations.