Virginia Avenue Park Expansion Virginia Avenue Park is an existing 5.82 acre park located within Santa Monica's Pico neighborhood. Incorporating many of the ideas identified through the community process, the park's design makes use of a 2.9 acre expansion and campus model, to organize existing and new buildings for community needs and programs. This approach provides flexibility to accommodate future changes in recreational preferences and responds to changing social, educational and cultural needs within the community, while maintaining a balance between interior program space and exterior recreation and open space. The park provides facilities for programs targeted to youth, families and seniors, including information and referrals, workshops, classes and fitness activities. It accommodates a range of outdoor activities including the weekly Pico Farmers' Market, an outdoor children's water-play area, a new children's playground and additional open green space for informal ball games, picnics and community events. The park best exemplifies the role a neighborhood park can play in serving the recreation and social needs of local residents. This project is the first park in the nation to receive a LEED Silver Rating. The design incorporates a range of sustainable strategies and features, including total run-off capture, 90 percent construction waste recycling, systems for significant water savings and energy efficiency, rapidly renewable materials and finishes, use of local products, and a program for indoor environmental quality. The project, completed for a construction cost of $9.9 million, opened in November 2005. Awards 2007 Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Award/Landscape 2007 Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize Citation 2006 US Green Building Council LEED-NC v2 Silver 2006 Municipal Award of Merit, US Green Building Council