County park’s new name could celebrate nearby Restaurant Row

Crystal City’s iconic Restaurant Row soon might lend its name to a nearby park.

Some members of the Arlington Park and Recreation Commission seemed to informally gravitate to the name, despite staff proposing several alternatives.

Currently known as “23rd Street South and South Eads Street Park,” county officials aim to upgrade the 2-acre site in the coming year, and may give it a new name as part of the makeover.

A community survey conducted by the county government attracted 84 responses, with 73 percent desiring a name change. Among two that were suggested by staff at the Sept. 24 Park and Recreation Commission meeting:

• Firehouse Park, in honor of a volunteer fire station that had stood nearby until the early 1950s.
• Zavarella Park, for a music shop that operated in the area from the 1960s to the early 2000.

Park and Recreation Commission member Shruti Kuppa said she liked Zavarella “just for the zazziness,” and colleague Melissa Riggio said she appreciated its uniqueness. But paying homage to the collection of eateries just across South Eads Street seemed to gather more momentum.

“I actually think Restaurant Row would be a lot more relevant,” commission member Alex Saunders said.

After being vetted by several other advisory panels in coming months, the matter will circle back to the Park and Recreation Commission. Its recommendation then heads to the County Board, which is expected to decide on whether to change the name — and, if so, to what — early next year.

Many walking by wouldn’t know that the park was indeed a park: it looks more like a typical setback abutting buildings, one parks-commission member said. The planned renovation, slated for 2025, would freshen it up but not add significant new amenities and would remain focused on casual use.

Park-Award Nominee Selected: Also at the Sept. 24 meeting, Park and Recreation Commission members recommended that the County Board bestow this year’s Bill Thomas Park Volunteer Award on Caroline Haynes.

“It’s impossible to come up with a candidate who would be stronger,” said commission member Alex Saunders, who served on the vetting committee.

Haynes, a founder of Arlington Regional Master Naturalists, “has shaped natural-resources policy perhaps more than any single [Arlington] citizen,” Saunders said.

Haynes is “one of my mentors and heroes,” said Jill Barker, chair of the Park and Recreation Commission.

If approved by County Board members, the honor will be presented later in October.