DC TEENS ENVISION NEW BRIDGE PARK OVER WASHINGTON DC RIVER
THEARC Hosts Final Presentation of the 11th Street Recreational Bridge Concept Designs
Designed by Local Teens, July 16 – 27, 2012
For Immediate Release:
Media
Contacts: Scott Kratz, scottkratzindc@gmail.com, (202) 669-0951
WHAT:
Teens from the District’s Summer Youth Employment Program are helping to
transform an aged out freeway bridge into a recreation destination high above
the Anacostia River. The D.C. Office of
Planning, working with THEARC, has tasked 20 teens to create their own concepts
for an 11th Street Recreation Bridge. These concepts will be used by the Office of
Planning to inform planning decisions for youth activities and programs on the
potential 11th Street Recreation Bridge.
The old 11th
Street Bridges that connect southeast DC with communities east of the river have
reached the end of their lifespan, and replacement bridges are now under
construction. The D.C. Office of Planning along with several District agencies is
exploring the idea to use
the base of one of the bridges to create a park for active recreation, arts and
environmental education connecting the communities of Ward 6, 7, and 8
including Capitol Riverfront, Historic Anacostia, Fairlawn, and Capitol Hill. Teens
will create their own design ideas and programming concepts for transforming
the old 11th Street bridge into a premier recreation
destination. Teens will research ideas
and activities for the bridge, study bridge construction and design, interview and
survey residents, and discuss plans with District officials from the District
Department of Transportation, Department of Health, and the District Department
of Environment. On Friday, July 27, teens will unveil their proposals in a
public program at THEARC.
WHO:
Teens working with mentors – architects, engineers, planners, community leaders
– to generate ideas to transform an old freeway bridge into a park above the
Anacostia River
DESIGN WORKSHOP
WHEN
/ WHERE: July 16 – 27, Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00
pm 1922 MLK Jr. Avenue, SE Washington, D.C.
20020
FINAL PRESENTATION
WHEN
/ WHERE: Friday,
July 27, 3:00 - 4:30 pm, Final Presentation at the Town Hall Education Arts
Recreation Campus (THEARC), 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, Washington, D.C. 20020
About the 11th Street Recreation Bridge
Concept
For the last several months, the D.C.
Office of Planning has hosted a series of community meetings to explore the idea
of creating a new architectural icon using an old span of the 11th
Street Bridge that can be a gateway to a healthier, connected Capitol
Community. The 11th St. Recreation Bridge Concept has four goals:
· Create a “One City” icon, connecting the city
over the Anacostia River;
· Envision a
recreation hub that links the destinations along both sides of the river;
· Produce an exceptional design that meets community aspirations,
focuses on the environment, and is self-sustaining in terms of operations and
maintenance; and
· Generate community involvement in shaping the
Recreation Bridge Project and seeing it realized
For more details about OP’s 11th Street
Bridge project, please visit www.planning.dc.gov.
About the Summer Youth
Employment Program
The Summer Youth
Employment Program (SYEP) is a locally funded initiative sponsored by the
Department of Employment Services (DOES) that provides District youth ages 14
to 21 with enriching and constructive summer work experiences through
subsidized placements in the private and government sectors.
About THEARC
Officially opened in October 2005, The Town Hall
Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) is a $27 million, 110,000 square-foot
campus located east of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC's Ward 8. THEARC is a home away from home for the many
underserved children and adults of East of the River, enabling them to
participate in dance classes, music instruction, fine arts, academics,
continuing education, mentoring, tutoring, recreation, medical and dental care,
and other services at a substantially reduced cost or no cost at all.
In addition to THEARC Theater, a 365-seat community
theater that is the only theater of any kind located east of the Anacostia
River in Washington, DC, THEARC includes a regulation size gymnasium,
libraries, computer labs, classrooms, dance, music and visual arts studios, an
art gallery, public playgrounds, gardens and other first-rate facilities.
In total Building Bridges and its ten resident
partners at THEARC deliver more than $11 million worth of cultural and
community services to more than 80,000 people annually.
###
To submit an article or to inquire about advertising send an email to Advoc8te@congressheightsontherise.com.