Park Construction Updates

“Take this with a grain of salt” is an old expression. I’ve heard of different origins for it. With one, the idea is basically that you are being fed a meager piece of meat/information, so only a small amount of salt is necessary. For that reason, some people object to the modification that some piece of information should be taken with a giant grain of salt, since that would suggest it’s a more substantial meal. According to wikipedia, though, the phrase has its origins with Pliny the Elder, who published a recipe book with a method of how to avoid being poisoned. The recipe called for a grain of salt. And so with that origin, it’s not necessarily contradictory to advise more salt, since it might be necessary to counteract a higher dose of poison/false information.

I mention that because (barring some dietary restrictions) you should take the following information with some substantial amount of salt.

And with that intro, I turn to the subject of today’s article: an update from the Department of Parks and Recreation on the multiple capital projects we have going on in Georgetown (and Burleith) right now.

The first is Book Hill:

This project was originally included in the budget two years ago will repair the fencing, stairs and irrigation for the park. It will also upgrade the tables and chairs at the top of the hill. According to the DPR materials presented Monday night, it is currently in the design phase with construction taking place sometime this year. Frankly I have not heard any news about the design being done and I am skeptical the work will be done this year.

Next up is Duke Ellington Field in Burleith:

According the materials, construction will start this spring and will end by the summer. There are still outstanding complaints from neighbors about parking and lights that DPR has said they will work through. Whether that will delay the completion date is to be seen, but a safe bet would be yes.

Next up is Jelleff:

This will be the most significant of the various capital projects in Georgetown. It will involve completing demolishing and rebuilding the rec center. And it has a budget to match: $28 million. The project is still getting final design review through Old Georgetown Board, but it will likely look something like the previously issued plans. The materials state that construction will start this summer and continue through late 2026. For what it’s worth, I think these timelines are somewhat more reliable than for the other projects (but I’ve been burned on that many times already).

Although the work is centered on the rec center, DPR has stated that Jelleff pool will be closed during the construction. I believe the field will remain open, but I am not certain of that.

Not for nothing, but I should point out that S St. is going to be an absolute nightmare over the next couple years. There will be this construction. Dumbarton Oaks has its own projects. A new development with a dozen or so townhouses is going to be built immediately to the west of Jelleff. And a developer is doing major work on one of the houses on the south side of the street. There’s no sugar-coating it: this will be a huge pain in the ass for residents. It will be great when it’s all done, but in the meantime….

Finally, Volta Park:

I have written about this project a bunch, especially since joining the ANC, as it is in my district. After publicizing multiple supposed dates when the construction would begin (going back to 2023) I ultimately gave up passing them on since they proved unreliable time-and-time-again. So keep that in mind when I tell you that on Monday night they promised that construction would start this spring and would be completed by the summer. Personally I would not bank a great deal of hope on those dates, but who knows? Maybe Charlie Brown will finally punt that football?

I wish I could be more confident in this information, but experience has shown that these projects just keep getting delayed for no discernible reason. I think they will ultimately get built, but when is really hard to say right now.