Work is nearing completion on the approximately $18-million second phase of the Rash Field redevelopment project. According to Waterfront Partnership, while Phase I focused on children’s play spaces and accessibility, Phase II emphasizes recreation, wellness, and leisure. The park is expected to fully reopen by the end of the summer.
The redevelopment, designed by Mahan Rykiel Associates, includes a large open lawn for sports and events, gardens, a beach area, walking paths, a nature walk, and a fitness trail with exercise equipment. Community feedback gathered throughout the planning process helped shape the final design.
“The Lawn” is intended to serve as a flexible gathering space for picnics, waterfront views, community events, and sports activities. “The Gardens” are designed to help visitors connect with nature. Nearby recreation amenities will include two pickleball courts, six beach volleyball courts, and “The Beach,” which is a sandy area intended for recreation and relaxation.
The fitness area has a Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course.
“It’s an outdoor obstacle course designed for a wide range of users, from elementary school-aged kids to teens and adults, with the goal of offering a more playful, nontraditional approach to fitness,” said a spokesperson for Waterfront Partnership. “The area includes 11 stations that can be used as a full obstacle course or enjoyed individually.”
Plano-Coudon Construction is the project’s general contractor.
The $16.8-million Phase I of the redevelopment opened in November 2021. That phase introduced a new park featuring twin 30-ft. wooden towers, the BGE Nature Play area, a shade lawn, a green overlook, the BGE Pavilion, and a future café space that will house OneDo Coffee. It also included Jake’s Skate Park, named in memory of Jake Owen, a young skating enthusiast who was killed by a distracted driver in 2011.
Originally constructed in 1975, Rash Field once served as a sports stadium for Southern High School. Waterfront Partnership has spent the past two decades planning and advancing the redevelopment of the space.
Renderings courtesy of Mahan Rykiel and Waterfront Partnership
