Parking Changes, Downtown Park Upgrades To Arrive In Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Ahead of a busy fall season, the City of Falls Church has announced changes to a public parking lot and the downtown park.

The public parking lot bordered by Maple Avenue, Park Avenue West Broad Street and North Washington Street has eight new spaces. This brings the total to 63 public parking spaces. The public parking area has been repaved and re-striped, and the spaces will be repainted to distinguish them as two-hour public parking spots.

With this comes the closure of the alley entrance from West Broad Street (see main image). The city and the property owner made the decision to improve safety in light of increased pedestrian traffic at the adjacent downtown park. It also provides additional space for programming and leisure at the park.

The public parking lot has five other entrances open off West Broad Street, Maple Avenue, Park Avenue and South Washington Street. Drivers should pay attention to signage distinguishing public parking from private lots.

The revamped downtown park in the 100 block of West Broad Street will have its own changes coming. The city is close to installing full power for the park to provide additional overhead lighting and power for music and events.

On Sept. 9, Falls Church City Council is set to consider the name "Mr. Brown's Park" for the park. The name honors Brown's Hardware, the city's oldest small business, and the three generations —James, Horace, and Hugh Brown—who ran the store since its 1883 opening. A dedication ceremony sometime in September will follow the park naming.

These upgrades in the downtown area were funded by a portion of hotel tax revenues.