Mayor Adrian M. Fenty joined Rev. and Mrs. Teague, parents of Diamond Teague, today to officially open the half acre Diamond Teague Park situated on the Anacostia River at Nationals Park in Ward 6.
(Washington, DC) - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty joined Rev. and Mrs. Teague, parents of Diamond Teague, today to officially open the half acre Diamond Teague Park situated on the Anacostia River at Nationals Park in Ward 6. As part of a commitment to a world-class network of urban parks and beautiful public spaces, the $8 million project is one of three District-funded parks in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood.
“Our investment in urban parks demonstrates our commitment to emerging neighborhoods like the Capitol Riverfront,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “We are pleased to deliver this park, its sustainable features, and the river access it provides to the residents of the District of Columbia.”
Located at First Street and Potomac Avenue, SE, the park connects the ballpark to the Anacostia River and provides a portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk, a 20-mile network of waterfront trails. Construction on the park began in January 2009 with water taxi service first available in August of 2009.
The park includes two piers. The 250-foot commercial pier and a 200-foot pier for non-motorized vessels, like kayaks and canoes, which is large enough for classroom instruction. The park also includes sustainable elements like floating wetlands and shoreline plantings. A restored pump house in the park will house local non-profit, the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC), which provides hands on workforce and leadership development, environmental education and media arts training to hundreds of unemployed youths. The ECC members, many of whom live in communities along the river, work to improve the Anacostia’s health and protect its plant and animal species.
The park is named for 19-year old Diamond Teague, a member of the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC), who was murdered in 2003. A memorial, designed by Byron Peck of City Arts, is planned for the site.
Operations of the park is handled in partnership with Coastal Properties, a commercial dock operator, who currently operates the Gang Plank Marina in Southwest Washington. The District and Coastal have agreed to hire students from the Environmental Conservation Corp to help maintain the park.
Diamond Teague Park which was funded by the District also received an $800,000 payment from neighboring developer, Florida Rock, as a part of its planned unit development process for a nearby project.
Water taxi service offers transport to the park from Old Town, Alexandria, Maryland’s National Harbor, and other destinations. Additionally, sightseeing and charter cruises operate out of the terminal at Diamond Teague. Service is available for home games at the park and other special events. The new commercial pier provides docking for boats carrying up to 149 passengers.