Arrowbrook Park Ribbon Cutting

Ribbon cutting ceremonies marking the official opening of Arrowbrook Park took place Saturday.

The 23-acre park, just off Centreville Road includes a lighted, synthetic-turf soccer field, a picnic pavilion, two tennis courts, a bocce ball court and playground. The bocce ball court is Fairfax County Park Authority's first, and the field is the first constructed marked solely for soccer use.

Bill Bouie, chairman of the Park Authority, said, "It's a wonderful, magnificent park." He said the park was previously a place where one could buy cattle, and now it has turned into a great example of what private-public partnerships can create.

Cathy Hudgins, Hunter Mill district Supervisor, and her staff helped push the project along. She said it was great to see the project come to fruition and when the landmass the park is on was up for redevelopment it took a long time to agree on having a portion of the land used for a park. She thanked county planning commissioner Frank de la Fe, Goldie Harrison, a member of her staff, as well as Jeff Fairfield, a representative of the Launders Charitable Trust.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman, Sharon Bulova, said with the growth Fairfax County is experiencing, the area needs more parks and public facilities incorporated into areas of redevelopment. She said Arrowbrook Park is a good example. "When I stepped back here it absolutely took my breath away," she said. "It is beautiful. Arrowbrook was designed with the community in mind. 

Herndon Mayor Steve DeBenedittis thanked all involved for their hard work and for keeping the area community in mind when designing the park. He said residents of the town are looking forward to being able to use the facilities. DeBenedittis suggested that local residents also learn about Merrybrook house, which is situated directly east of the park. The home is one of the former residences of Laura Ratcliffe, Civil War spy.

The property formerly belonged to Hal and Ruth Launders. They purchased the land shortly after WWII and owned Arrowhead Farm, raising cattle. They were active in the community. The couple continues to impact the community through their charitable trust.

Fairfield thanked the engineers, designers and those who constructed the park. He said Herndon Town Manager Art Anselene was a big part of the design of the park, and helped consult with the engineers and others involved. "Art is why the Park Authority now has its first bocce ball court," he said.

Fairfield said it was Hudgins and de la Fe who pushed for the park. He said though the developers were unsure at first, the synergy they found in working on a public project paid off. He thanked the Launders for having the opportunity to work on such a project. "For an old estate lawyer, this has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience," he said.

Arrowbrook Park will be surrounded by Arrowbrook Centre. The development will eventually include office space, restaurants, stores, hotels and more than one million square feet of residential space.