Celebrate the grand opening of the Eileen Garnett Civic Space, formerly known as the Annandale Civic Space on Saturday, Oct. 21. Located at 7200 Columbia Pike, the celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. and features a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., followed by a fun-filled community day, including music, dance and food until 1 p.m. Families and individuals of all ages are invited to join in the celebration of this new community space.
Built on a former underutilized open space that was part of the old Annandale Elementary School, the Eileen Garnett Civic Space was thoughtfully designed to serve as a central gathering place for the Annandale community. It offers a civic plaza with seating, a vibrant demonstration garden, a great lawn with a compact and playful landscape, and a parking lot capable of hosting "pop-up" community activities and special events.
This revitalized open space is fully accessible and aligns with Fairfax County’s long-term vision for the Annandale Community Business Center (CBC). It also aligns with multiple outcome areas in the Countywide Strategic Plan, including healthy communities through the development of an inviting space with opportunities for recreation and active living for people of all ages and abilities.
“This is an exciting occasion to celebrate with the community who had a major part in helping conceptualize the transformation of what was, just a short time ago, an underutilized part of county property. It’s a major milestone for Annandale and a shining example of our ability to transform previously underused locations into beautiful and connective spaces that bring communities together,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.
The new space is named after Eileen Garnett, who dedicated herself to the betterment of Annandale. In 1984, she founded the Annandale Central Business District Revitalization Committee and regularly asked county staff and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to improve the community with building design, signage, streetlights, landscaping and trash removal. Garnett was tragically killed in 2022 after being hit by a car while advocating for sidewalk and transportation upgrades on a tour with VDOT and county staff.
“Eileen Garnett was not only a steadfast friend of the Annandale community, but also a passionate advocate for community revitalization. It is such a fitting tribute to honor her legacy devotion for the community by dedicating this civic space in memory of her contributions towards reshaping this community she loved so dearly,” said Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross.
Background
In 2018, the Department of Planning and Development Community Revitalization Section and the Park Authority embarked on an engagement process to solicit community input on the vision for a new, innovative community gathering space in downtown Annandale. The plan was to implement this vision by modifying the parking lot of a former elementary school located at 7200 Columbia Pike. Community engagement was crucial to designing a space that everyone could enjoy.
Staff held two pop-up park events and circulated two online community surveys, plus hosted a design charrette in 2018. Staff heard from nearly 400 community members during the engagement process. To help the community see the potential of the space, several additional pop-up events were held on the location during the 2019 pop-up programming series, including Nature Day, Arts Day, Fitness and Fun Day and Community Day held in conjunction with the Taste of Annandale. It started as a plan to reuse a part of a parking lot and through community input transformed into a larger project to include a large blacktop space that is now the great lawn.
SIGN UP FOR DAILY EMAIL HEADLINES