Anthony DeLorenzo, Urban Planning Project Manager for the Department of General Services (DGS), announced that the plans for the Eastern Market Metro Plaza will be implemented over the next few months.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) is expected to be issued in March, awarded in April and comment on the design process should begin in May. DeLorenzo said the RFP process would build on the public input process that was begun in summer 2013 by Barracks Row Main Street.
The plan calls for a one-year design phase, followed by one year of construction and delivery in early 2020.
Brent Cisco of the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) said that the installation of playground equipment in the northeast quadrant was expected to take place this summer in Parcel 1 of the plaza near what some refer to as ‘plastic park’. The installation would use funds provided by the construction agreement with Stanton-EastBanc made prior to the start of work on the Hine Project.
A spokesperson for DPR said that the agency was “working with a small, local developer to install a small, interim playground in the park and we are aiming for completion by this summer.”
Barrack’s Row Main Street Executive Director Martin Smith said the plans called for the purchase of one or two of the more significant playground pieces for summer installation in an interim playground. The pieces will then be removed and reinstalled in the permanent playground once the plaza is complete.
Smith said, “Barracks Row Main Street will continue serving an active leadership role in this project. We are having conversations about ongoing programming for the space and working on maintenance for the space when the project is finished.”
The warm days in late February, Smith said, have reminded all agencies and parties concerned of the urgency of the project.
The plaza has a budget of $4.5 million over three years but DeLorenzo said he expected additional revenue streams will be pursued.
