Benning Park in Ward 7 is the latest D.C. playground to get a complete renovation. It officially opened Friday, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony where Mayor Gray also announced an expansion of the District's playground renovation program.
“The Play DC initiative has transformed the District’s playgrounds into innovative, amazing places for residents across our city – and now we’re expanding it,” Gray said in a statement.
The District is in the midst of an ambitious, multi-year project to renovate many of the more than 90 playgrounds it operates. Benning Park, at the corner of Southern Ave and Fable St. NE, was the 20th playground to be renovated. Gray's announcement of the expansion of the program means that another 20 playgrounds will be renovated for a total of 40, up from the project's original 32.
The newly announced parks, one in each ward, are:
- Ward 1 – Columbia Heights;
- Ward 2 – Mitchell Park;
- Ward 3 – Guy Mason;
- Ward 4 – Lafayette;
- Ward 5 – Trinidad;
- Ward 6 – King Greenleaf;
- Ward 7 – Fort Davis;
- Ward 8 – Ferebee Hope.
Benning Park's design has been in the works since late last year.
The new design features a dragon motif. The park now contains adult exercise equipment, a community garden, a walking track, and refurbished basketball and tennis courts. The park now also contains a "we-saw," a six-person see-saw designed to promote "collaborative play and teamwork,"
according to the manufacturer.