WalkingTownDC: Canal Park
Oct. 4th, 2012 04:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vamysteryfanLast week I went on several walking tours around DC, courtesy of DC Cultural Tourism. You know how much I like to share what's best about DC, so I'll be posting a few photos (as a preview for where I'll take you when you visit!).
Canal Park is being built atop part of the old Washington Canal, a waterway that once linked the Anacostia River to the canal that ran where Constitution Avenue is now. The new three-block long park reflects the old canal, but it's also one of DC's "greenest" building
projects. My hard-hat tour went behind the scenes at the park's rain and sculpture gardens, skating rink, performance venue, and restaurants were being assembled before our eyes. We were lucky enough to have the project's Executive Director Chris VanArsdale as our guide.
We started at the Capitol BID office where we could see some of the architect's drawings, look at a model, and also get an aerial view of the project.
The rain garden will take rain and snow runoff and keep it from overloading the local sewer system. Three-quarters of the project is actually underground. These photos show the rain gardens under construction.
Chris told us of finding a ten-foot concrete berm running up L Street from the Navy Yard to who knows where. They decided to leave it alone and rerouted their pipes. There were also some rather odd solid concrete blocks that were eventually removed. Sounded very National Treasure to me.
This will be a skating rink and eatery in two months!
Canal Park is being built atop part of the old Washington Canal, a waterway that once linked the Anacostia River to the canal that ran where Constitution Avenue is now. The new three-block long park reflects the old canal, but it's also one of DC's "greenest" building
projects. My hard-hat tour went behind the scenes at the park's rain and sculpture gardens, skating rink, performance venue, and restaurants were being assembled before our eyes. We were lucky enough to have the project's Executive Director Chris VanArsdale as our guide.
We started at the Capitol BID office where we could see some of the architect's drawings, look at a model, and also get an aerial view of the project.
The rain garden will take rain and snow runoff and keep it from overloading the local sewer system. Three-quarters of the project is actually underground. These photos show the rain gardens under construction.
Chris told us of finding a ten-foot concrete berm running up L Street from the Navy Yard to who knows where. They decided to leave it alone and rerouted their pipes. There were also some rather odd solid concrete blocks that were eventually removed. Sounded very National Treasure to me.
This will be a skating rink and eatery in two months!
