Fairfax County and the Fairfax County Park Authority are pleased to announce the grand opening of the Eileen Garnett Civic Space. The Civic Space is named in honor of Eileen Garnett, a longtime friend of Annandale and passionate voice for community revitalization who was also supportive of the park’s development.

The Eileen Garnett Civic Space, formerly known as the Annandale Civic Space, officially opened to the public on Saturday, October 21, 2023. Located at 7200 Columbia Pike, the grand opening celebration included a ribbon cutting ceremony, music, dance, fitness, and food. Speakers at the grand opening ceremony included Laura Baker of the Department of Economic Initiatives, Chairman Jeff McKay, Deputy Director of the Park Authority Sara Baldwin, Mason District Supervisor Penelope Gross, and the daughter of Eileen Garnett.

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 be 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). The work on this project began in 2018 with several community engagement efforts conducted by the CRS team and the Park Authority. View the 16 Around Fairfax segment for highlights of the grand opening event, below.

The sunny, breezy day allowed for a wide range of activities including mural chalking by Community Art for Everyone (CAFE), martial arts demonstrations by Hapmudo Studio, and choral and strings performances by Braddock Elementary School students. Now that the space is officially open, we invite you to experience Annandale’s new community park for yourself!