Taney Avenue Park Playground Renovation

RunningBrooke is so grateful and pumped to partner with each of the 400 donors who gave in April during Spring2ACTion to fund the revitalization of the Taney Avenue park and new preschool-age playground and equipment, as well as the 60 volunteers who came together and got their hands dirty working at the site to help prepare the grounds for Phase Two. Because everyone stepped up, 1,500 kids, many of whom are from families that live well below the Federal Poverty Level will get the playground of their dreams!

The kids are excited! And, the parents are happy too as this newly renovated and better-lit community space will unify the neighborhood, and bring families together. An entire neighborhood now has an “outdoor living area” to play in, socialize, and get active as families.

Volunteers dug holes and amended the soil to plant 20 VA-native trees. They created and mulched walking paths among the multiple tree groves. The team watered, pruned, and tended to the existing trees and plants. While clearing invasive brush, volunteers found a few surprises including, a discarded and rusted old bike, parts of a metal swing set, bags of trash, and a old and rusted-out road sign.

The renovation project was designed and guided by the City’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities. Visit the Taney Avenue Playground page to read more about how this plan came together.

Quotes from Volunteer Day:

“I didn’t know about this park until this event. Having these nice open spaces is great to get away to a quiet place with the kids, to read, or just enjoy nature. I can’t wait to see the finished product! As a society, we’ve kind of lost getting together as a community, and it’s great to see this park give us space to do that.” – Diana W.

“This is my second time volunteering to build a playground with RunningBrooke. To see first-hand the impact this will make to give families a safe place to play is amazing. To see the money that was raised to improve and beautify this community for families is a phenomenal thing to see.” – Lisa J.

“It’s a great addition to the neighborhood. This park has been an asset, but also a liability. To get some attention to this part of town, the West End specifically, is great!” – Ocean E.
 

Phase Two, scheduled for early-October will be when the crews build out the playground equipment and install an entry plaza, water fountain, benches, picnic tables, and a grilling area. We hope folks will drop by and check out the progress!

RunningBrooke would like to thank the City of Alexandria Parks and Recreation Department, ReBuilding Together Alexandria, BrightView, Rosemont Landscaping and Lawncare for their terrific partnership.
 

Taney Avenue Park Improvement Plan (Click to open in PDF)

Questions? Send us an email and tell us how we can help!