Park and Recreation Department staff with Junius Heights resident Martha Heimberg. Photo by Renee Umsted.
With no funding and a commitment to improving green spaces in the neighborhood, residents and City staff have completed work on a triangle park in Junius Heights.
Plans to add seating and sidewalks to the park at Abrams Road and Beacon Street started years ago. Some work began, but the money ran out, and the park was left with a concrete circle filled with dirt and weeds.
Richard Ritz and Jeremy Wilson helped design and source materials for the project. Granite pavers leftover from the Arts District were found at the Meyerson warehouse and at the “boneyard,” located at the park department’s I.C. Harris Service Center. It had been sitting, unused, for about 15 years.
Decomposed granite, which allows water to seep through, was used for the interior of the circular area. And lueder stones were added as temporary seats, until funding is secured for permanent park benches.
“Now we have something, were there was leaves and grass, out of nothing,” says Martha Heimberg, a Junius Heights resident.
Lueder stone seats and decomposed granite at a triangle park at Abrams and Beacon. Granite pavers line the inside of the concrete circle. Photo by Renee Umsted.
This project, which would normally cost at least $30,000, was finished without dedicated funding.
“No money but a clear vision and a full heart,” says Rudy Karimi, the park board representative for District 14.
“And a boneyard full of material,” Wilson adds.
It wasn’t just a matter of finding materials. The design and plans had to be approved by the City and the Landmark Commission.
Heimberg isn’t moving on from the triangle park yet. She and other residents want to see permanent park benches, a table and water fountains for people and dogs installed there.
“What people are doing now more and more incredibly — we thought they never would — they’re actually walking down Abrams now that we have a sidewalk along the bike path,” Heimberg says.
