23rd & Eads St. Park Renovation
Final Engagement - Community Input for Review
Participants: 114
Comments: 109
Thank you to everyone who shared feedback during the second round of community engagement for the 23rd & Eads Street project, which was open from May 1 to May 22, 2025.
We are now sharing back the input we received. The comments below reflect a wide range of community perspectives and ideas. While this input is shared without additional context or grouping, it has informed the design process and will continue to help guide next steps.
To learn more about the 23rd & Eads Street project, please visit the links below:
What is your level of satisfaction with the final draft concept for 23rd and S. Eads Park?
| Question prompt | Very Satisfied | Satisfied | Neutral | Unsatisfied | Very Unsatisfied | Unsure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction Level |
21%
|
45%
|
14%
|
5%
|
11%
|
4%
|
As part of our community engagement, we asked for input on potential new names for the park currently known as 23rd Street South and South Eads Street Park. Of the 88 people who responded to this question, many selected more than one name they found appealing.
The list below shows how many people selected each name:
23rd Street Plaza – selected by 65 people
Restaurant Row Plaza – selected by 48 people
Pride Plaza – selected by 41 people
Firehouse Plaza – selected by 39 people
Did we miss anything? Please use the space below to share any important considerations or additional thoughts that were not captured in your answers above.
Did we miss anything? Please use the space below to share any important considerations or additional thoughts that were not captured in your answers above.
My best guess is this project is intended to calm this very busy, unruly, traffic-heavy intersection by developing a “park” on one corner. I have to say I burst out laughing when I heard the accompanying video reference “connection to nature”. Who would sit at this intersection to connect to nature?!
I’ve lived in the neighborhood for years, and always avoid this (and only this!) intersection, whether on foot or driving. Unless there’s a plan to move traffic elsewhere, I wouldn’t spend another dime sprucing up this tiny area.
OR - if the focus is (as I think it should be) on slowing traffic, let the “park” reflect that. I honestly would not provide seating, nor encourage anyone to stop and “rest” at this crazy busy intersection - it’s dangerous. Inviting people to spend time at this intersection is not safe. (aside: before responding to this survey today, I walked to the intersection @3pm to ensure I was viewing the issues correctly - the beginning of rush hour traffic was heavy. Oh, and I was propositioned … but that’s another issue).
Final note: love South Arlington, love that county resources are coming our way! Just have serious reservations about this planned “plaza”.
If anything is done, it should be of minimal cost (less than $10k) and should not be a make work thing for county employees. I have lived nearby for a long time and never heard anyone complain about it