Park View, D.C.

Newly painted Park View Rec. building.

This will (hopefully) be my last post about the renovations at the Park View Recreation Center before the building reopens. So far, the work that’s been done on this building in this round of construction far exceeds my expectations. That is not to say that I’ll be complacent about this facility or stop fighting for future improvements … but it’s nice to see that the community is finally getting real and concrete improvements after advocating for them for years.

Those involved in the process of improving Park View Rec. will recall that all the community was initially scheduled to get in this recent round or renovations was a resurfaced baseball field in 2009. Through significant community activism, we ultimately were able to get all of the outdoor spaces renovated and reprogrammed in 2012. Seizing on the opportunity to work with DPR, continued efforts to improve the center has resulted in the current work on the building, this being achieved after several community meetings during which all residents — new and old, black and white — expressed disgust with the dilapidated state of the building. While this work does not negate the need for a completely new building, it creates much needed improvements that will benefit the community while we explore what the future and priorities of the Park View Recreation Center center should be.

New signage on the building now correctly spells Park View.

Two of my biggest issues with the exterior of the building have been addressed during the process. On this, I have to give praise to DPR for listening. The first was simply to paint the building. Believe it or not, this is the first time the building has been painted by the District in over a decade. The most recent painting efforts were all volunteer based and, due to insurance liability, never included ladders to reach the entire building. It was high time that the District actually invest in this property with a professional paint job. I also like that the building is painted green and white. Not only are they DPR colors but they are also Park View’s official colors.

The other issue that has finally been corrected is the spelling on the building. The new signage now correctly spells “Park View” as two words. While this may seem like a small thing to many, to me it was symbolic of the respect and level of service we could expect from DPR. After all, if an agency doesn’t even care enough to correctly spell a community’s name, how much respect do they truly have for that community. Based on the new signage and amount of work we received at Park View over the past year, I feel confident that we have finally achieve a level of service that was lacking for years — and this includes the site manager Craig Hughes, who I also consider a huge improvement over his predecessors.

I’m hopeful others agree that this latest round of construction adds value to the community. When the site reopens later this month, stop by and get to know the staff. Or better yet, come to the March UNC meeting to see it first hand, meet your neighbors, and become involved in shaping the future of Park View.

I sneak peek at some of the interior work at Park View Recreation.