News Release

National Park Service unveils vision for revitalizing Anacostia Park

Date: May 6, 2025
Contact: Mark Maloy

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The National Park Service (NPS) has released the Reimagine Anacostia Park Development Concept Plan, marking the first major step toward implementing the broader Anacostia Park Management Plan established in 2017. The Reimagine Anacostia Park Development Concept Plan focuses on the park area east of the Anacostia River, between the 11th Street Bridge and the CSX railroad bridge. 

Through this effort, the NPS seeks to enhance accessibility, safety, and connectivity between the park and neighboring communities, while improving links between key activity hubs within the park. The plan also aims to enrich the visitor experience along the Anacostia River, restore and upgrade sports fields and recreational amenities, expand community gathering spaces and protect the park’s important natural and cultural resources. 

The NPS hosted multiple public comment periods and collaborated with Friends of Anacostia Park to plan outreach events, inviting broad community input on proposed designs. The final Development Concept Plan presents three distinct design concepts, each shaped by community feedback and focused on: 

• Building a strong foundation 

• Planning for long-term resilience 

• Enhancing park activities 

While all three concepts share core elements, they differ slightly in amenities to address key goals such as improving accessibility and connectivity, activating the waterfront, expanding recreation options and fostering community gathering. Each design also adds new passive recreation areas, including picnic shelters, barbecue grills, and picnic tables. Importantly, all concepts prioritize preservation of natural resources and offer an expansive range of recreational opportunities for the entire community. 

“The finalized Anacostia Park Development Concept Plan marks a significant milestone in our commitment to enhancing this well-loved neighborhood national park,” said Superintendent of National Capital Parks — East Tara D. Morrison. “This plan reflects both our dedication to preserving a vital natural resource and our vision for creating a more vibrant, welcoming space that supports community well-being. We look forward to working closely with the Friends of Anacostia Park and the broader network of community members to bring this vision to life, ensuring that Anacostia Park remains a welcoming oasis in the heart of the nation’s capital.” 

For more information about the Anacostia Park Development Concept Plan, visit https://www.nps.gov/anac/learn/management/anacostiadcp.htm

Next Steps  

Together, these concepts represent a vision for the future of Anacostia Park shaped by community insight. Moving forward, the NPS will seek funding and partnerships to transition from concept designs to detailed design drawings and then construction projects. Portions of the project are already funded through the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), established under the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act of 2020. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026.  

“Friends of Anacostia Park stands committed to being a partner and helping ensure that the valuable input from the community is brought forth with the work that will be completed in Anacostia Park,” said Executive Director, Friends of Anacostia Park, Kenyatta T. Thompson- Brunson. “We are excited to collaborate with National Capital Parks — East as improvements are made, enhancing the visitor experience and expanding programming for the community to enjoy.” 

www.nps.gov

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s more than 430 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.