Downtown’s field of kelly green polyethylene would have hit the trash heap in January, with the start of construction on a new plaza and civic center. Now it looks like the artificial lawn will stick around through the winter.
According to Gary Stith (pictured), director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, the county won’t be ready to accept construction bids on Veterans Plaza until after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The county would spend January and February to sort through the bids, aiming for the best though not necessarily the cheapest contractor, Stith told Silver Spring’s urban-district advisory committee Thursday.
After the county signs a contract, the artificial grass should go in March, Stith said.
The AstroTurf was rolled out two years ago to cover a gravel-strewn lot on Fenton Street at Ellsworth Drive. It was meant to be a temporary patch until construction on the hardscaped Veterans Plaza could begin.
In that time, the turf became a popular hangout for teens and families, as well as the bane of downtown business owners, who believed the hardscaped plaza would be a better draw.
Despite some calls to keep the turf, the county decided in June to proceed with its plans to build the plaza, veterans memorial, seasonal ice rink and pavilion.
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It’s about time we get rid of that filthy, nasty green turf. If people want to enjoy a green space, why not walk a couple blocks and visit that beautiful park on Georgia Ave. It has trees, real grass, a water fountain and even a basketball court. Is it that everybody is to lazy to walk the extra blocks or is it that people here would rather have something to complain about. “If you build it, they will come.”
The same reason people love central park in NYC.. because it’s.. CENTRAL. I know… DTSS isn’t exactlly manhattan and Woodside isn’t exactllly like walking across the brooklyn bridge… but still… the idea of a central park in an urban setting is clearly a proven one. If we took every pocket park, built the building next to it wider instead, and put all the parks together where the turf is – we’d still have higher urban density AND have a park in the middle of it all.
You know what we need on the turf: benches, that’s what. Paul makes a good point about Central Park, and centrally located parks. D.C./Silver Spring has a scarcity of decent parks to just hang out in and people-watch, when compared to the Big Apple. The big drawback regarding our turf in DTSS is a lack of benches. That makes it hard for older people and others who aren’t comfortable just sitting on the ground. Benches would encourage people to just sit and chat and watch the world go by.
I know that the anti-benchniks will gripe about the homeless and others sleeping on the benches, but why begrudge the very poor from at least having a bench to sleep on?
Some trees on the “green” would be nice, too, and maybe a fountain in the center, plus an area for street performers. Yep, I long for Washington Square Park in Silver Spring.
We don’t need a civic center. We need green space. We need a central location where kids can play, families can hang out, a place to watch concerts.
The turf area is the only GENUINE place surrounded by the pukedom of corporate retail and restaurants in the new DTSS.
IHateYuppies, well I hate hippies. I’m so glad that this turf is being removed so we can get rid of the filth that clutters it. I can’t wait for the civic center project to be completed. Kids should be at home studying so they can get white-collar jobs and help society. The civic center will bring something new to this beautiful corporate retail area. Merry Christmas!
I agree with IHY. Why do we need a civic center? What programs will take place at the civic center that cannot take place at the Round House, AFI or the soon-to-be-built (hopefully) music venue? Let’s scrap the civic center and the proposed ice rink. The only thing that the civic center will attract are drug dealers and homeless people. 99% of the time the civic center will not be in use. Shouldn’t we put up something that will activate the area as opposed to deactivating the area?
I’m a bit late to this discussion…is the ice rink indoors or outdoors? Because an outdoor seasonal rink in that area would rock.
IHY, I would add “Adega” restaurant to the list of real and genuine places in the new DTSS. It’s a great alternative to the Hellsworth Drive Moe’s Family Feedbags.
Maybe I’m missing something, but, a green (petro-chemical)carpet doesn’t make it a green space. The plaza & civic center will have benches, trees (more than now), and will be much more accessable to families (and family members of all ages), than a sun-bleached carpet. This is ment to be like the plazas in Spain, which are the center of every major city there. Gathering places for all ages, 24/7. The only people flexable enough to sit-down on the carpet and enjoy it now are the young. The new plaza will be more family friendly, and accessable to all generations. As far as the homeless, well they are already there, and any place you have a demand for drugs, you will find drug dealers. A civic center won’t draw them, customers will (again, already there). Finally, there is a wonderfull park next to the Silver Spring library, just 1 block away, and for those hooked on NY,NY, Rock Creek Park is closer than Central Park is to most residents of NYC. We have a 1 block strip! Where are we going to put a Central Park in DTSS without evicting all the retailers?
Thank-You.
Can it be that, someone else in Silver Spring looks out side the box and sees the positive side of a civic center and ice rink? Thanks for the post “b”. I can’t wait until we have a civic center and an outdoor skating rink so I can take my family there. It’s much better than saying, “hey guys, lets enjoy the day on the green turf that’s dirty and vandalized.”
B, I love the idea of a European-style piazza (square) in DTSS, which is why I cited Washington Square Park in NYC as a model.
I haven’t seen any proposed plans for the Civic Center, etc., but if it’s a piazza-style proposal, then count me in. Go ahead and roll up the astroturf and send it back to Home Depot. Public squares are some of the best & liveliest places in cities.
I do feel compelled to point out that Central Park is to Rock Creek Park as a Rembrandt is to spilled paint.
Its an outdoor ice rink.
Agreed, Rock Creek Park is no Central Park. I was just trying to give some prospective. Some have gotten the idea that a large green ashtray in the middle of 2 city blocks is our Central Park, when it is more like Van Gogh’s missing ear.
Copy & paste this link to your browser for an 11 page slide show on the proposed project.
http://www.machado-silvetti.com/projects/silver_spring/index.php
The outside ice rink will only be used 2 out of the 12 months during the year. Then what? Does anyone know what the civic center will be used for? I think people love the idea of a civic center but are clueless to what types of events and activities will actually be held there. The reality is that there will be very little activity going on there…unless they put slot machines in the civic center. Better yet, get rid of the planned civic center and put a casino in its place. That would surely activate the area.
Those who were not around when the Armory was here clearly are clueless on how much that was used (nonstop!) and what an essential part it was to our community. From the Ethnic Heritage Festival to indoor Craft Shows to weddings to polka dances, it had it all that and then some. It was rundown, but it was well-used. Right now downtown SS has to beg for public meeting and they are double/triple booked often. Try to plan anything downtown for over 100 folks and see how far a nonprofit budget takes you.
Just one example of how the Civic Center can address an immediate need: the AFI’s annual Silverdocs Fest has totally outgrown all the available meeting spaces, hotel rooms, and screens – and they are begging for more places to show films and hold talks.
As to the whole Central Park thing – come down Georgia to Jesup (yes, just one S) Blair Park – much more apropos comparison in layout and landscaped city setting — though it is too far from where the “action” is to get used by anyone not interested in the playground or soccer fields. A pity. I’m hoping while TPTB construct the civic center and plaza that the SSJazzFest is moved down to Jesup Blair to give South SS some exposure.