SILVER SPRING, MD—Leaders from M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County gathered with members of the Germantown community this week at the site of the future Germantown Town Center Urban Park for a groundbreaking ceremony. Montgomery Parks Director Mary Bradford was joined by Montgomery Planning Board Member and Commissioner Casey Anderson, Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, Montgomery County Upcounty Regional Services Center Director Catherine Matthews, staff from U.S. Congresswoman Donna Edwards’ office and Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice’s office, as well as business leaders and residents from the area.
“This park has been a long time in the making and we are so pleased that all of the hard work and planning is now bringing it to the citizens of Germantown.” said Bradford. “We genuinely appreciate the patience and support from the community throughout this process. It shows that building a village center really takes a village.”
“This groundbreaking for the Germantown Town Center Urban Park is the culmination of years of hard work between Montgomery Parks, the County and the community,” said Councilmember Rice. “This is especially bittersweet for me because, as one of the first residents in Germantown Town Center, I was presented with a phenomenal environmentally-sensitive design that finalized the last piece of a vibrant Germantown Town Center.”
The Germantown Town Center Urban Park is slated for completion in 2014 and will be located on 8.8 acres of land adjacent to the Germantown Library on Century Blvd. The park will create plenty of inviting open space, as well as interpretive trails and boardwalks, gathering areas and enhanced wetland areas for education.
“This is a great day for Germantown,” said Councilmember Floreen. “The park completes the town center, making it not only a great place for dining, shopping and culture but now outdoor enjoyment as well. It makes Germantown Town Center the total package.”
The park will also feature public art components created by artist David Hess that will inspire the imagination and complement the cultural setting of the Library and Black Rock Arts Center while serving as gathering spaces.
Hess will create three large pergolas using over 14,000 feet of twisted stainless steel material formed atop six large natural boulders. The pergolas will create gathering places within a raised plaza overlooking a formal lawn and the existing wetlands. Hess will also build sculptural handrails and benches within the Park.
“I wanted to bring a natural looking form into this beautifully controlled space,” said Hess. “The twisted stainless steel can be welded together and is extremely durable. It gives the impression of something architectural in nature, like a nest or beaver dam. Simultaneously, visitors might even think it was somehow “grown” this way.”
The Germantown Town Center Urban Park will be passive in nature and ADA compliant for universal access. The park will feature a fully integrated stormwater management system and improvements to the pond and naturalized wetlands to nurture and protect the various plant and animal wildlife native to the region.
“There are a surprising number of birds that visit the wetlands within the park throughout the year, and we wanted to make sure we were able to preserve this natural area within the developed town center,” noted Andy Frank, project manager for the park.
# # #