Ground Broken for Long-Awaited Town Center Park

After decades of postponements and budget setbacks, county officials and community leaders ceremonially cracked soil for a new park, Germantown Town Center Urban Park, on Wednesday.

The $7.2 million, 8.8-acre park would occupy the fenny space behind Germantown Library, the sloping plot enveloped by the library’s parking lot, and Pinnacle and Locbury drives, not far from .  Features include a pavilion, terraces, gardens and a formal lawn. 

“We’re trying to create something here that we’re trying to create throughout Montgomery County,” said Mary Bradford, the county's parks director.

As the county became more urbanized — going from lots of cows to lots of condos — recreational parks and playgrounds ended up at the edges of communities, Bradford said.

Residents of Germantown Town Center don’t have many green-space options.

“There’s no place in the Town Center for people to hang,” said Marilyn Balcombe, president and CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber was involved in project, lobbying legislators and bringing visitors to the site to keep it relevant. Balcombe said people were dumping trash into the wetlands and into the pond.

“It just made sense to turn it into a park,” Balcombe said.

Initial renderings for a Town Center park appear in a 1992 Germantown Town Center Design Study.

The design was modified from its original plan, which included more extensive landscaping and an "ornate" design along the pathways, due to budgetary constraints,

Funding cuts to construction budgets bumped the project back. The Montgomery County Planning Board approved a facility plan for the park in 2005 and was accepting construction bids by 2011.

The park is expected to open by spring 2014, according to Montgomery Parks.

“I know this has gotten delayed over the years, but it’s finally happening,” said Montgomery County Councilwoman Nancy Floreen, drawing a line of applause. Floreen is the chairwoman of the council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee.

A representative spoke on the behalf of District 2 Councilman Craig Rice, who is from Germantown. There was also a representative for the office of U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md.

A 3-D rendering of the park has been posted on YouTube.