[Archived] City Holds Grand Opening Ceremony for the Four Mile Run Park and Community Building on Sunday, May 15

For Immediate Release: May 10, 2011

The City of Alexandria invites the public to join Mayor William D. Euille and members of City Council to celebrate and dedicate the opening of the renovated community building located at 4109 Mount Vernon Ave., on Sunday, May 15 at 1 p.m. The event will occur rain or shine.

The City acquired the open space properties at 4109-4125 Mount Vernon Ave., including the former Duron Paint store building at 4109 Mount Vernon Ave., in January 2007 as part of the City’s Open Space Program. In June 2010, a Special Use Permit was approved to convert the old paint store into a community building for public use.

A local group of architects, Architects Anonymous, donated their time to develop a plan to preserve the building through environmentally sustainable design elements. The newly renovated building will be open seasonally and will feature a new, large entrance and stage area on the north side, accessible restrooms, a small workroom, and a large open area that can be used for:

Community meetings;
Community festivals;
Farmers/craft market activities;
Performance space
Environmental and Four Mile Run education facility and display area;
Art shows and markets;
Film viewings and festivals;
City events;
Classes and summer camps;
Professional organizations meeting space;
One-time health clinics; and
One-time bicycle clinics.

The City is grateful to Whiting Turner and Sherwin Williams/Duron Paint for the donation of their time and materials, as well as a large number of citizens and local groups who volunteered their time to renovate the building and improve the surrounding space.

Come early and shop at the Four Mile Run Farmers’ and Artisan’s Market (4MRMarket), open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. In conjunction with the grand opening of the building, 4MRMarket will accept SNAP/EBT for the first time!　 In a collaborative project with the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria and Inova Health System, SNAP participants will be now able to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables and other goods at the farmers market. 　As part of this project, Inova is sponsoring a "Double Dollar" program that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia to accept SNAP.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, please call Laura Durham, Open Space Coordinator, at 703.746.5493, (TTY 703.838.4902), or e-mail laura.durham@alexandriava.gov.