Graham Projects served as a public art and urban design collaborator for Design Collective in support of the Maryland Stadium Authority and Prince George’s County on the development of BLC Civic Plaza, an $8 million public open space envisioned as a premier destination anchoring the eastern terminus of the Blue Line Corridor. From the outset, the project has been shaped by a thoughtful, inclusive three-step community engagement process focused on listening, testing ideas, and building consensus. This process included extensive outreach to understand community priorities, the presentation of three distinct design alternatives, and the refinement of those concepts into a single preferred direction.
Design Collective and Graham Projects orchestrated a variety of creative strategies for community engagement, including an interactive, play-based sculpture making activity. Through this collaborative effort, the community expressed a clear desire for a flexible, dynamic civic gathering space with a strong emphasis on art and civic empowerment—one capable of accommodating large-scale events such as farmers markets, art fairs, and cultural programming. The resulting design reflects those aspirations, creating a place that is both expressive and highly functional.
The park is grounded in the “8 to 80” design philosophy, ensuring it is accessible, safe, and enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities—from young children to older adults. This inclusive approach prioritizes intuitive circulation, visibility, and comfort, allowing visitors to navigate and enjoy the space independently.
Programming throughout the park supports a wide range of uses and experiences, including generous outdoor seating, custom made shaded pavilions for relief from sun and weather, a playground, dog park, adult swings, an event lawn with stage, and the Free Speech Frame that serves as both a civic gesture and an Instagram-worthy landmark. Inspired by the desire among residents to have a true civic space, Graham Projects designed the Free Speech Frame as a sculptural work of functional art that captures a powerful perspective of the civic space and while offering an abstract “podium”, effectively creating a stage for people to share speeches and performances.
Other works of public art include the re-emergence of local favorite “The Perennials” sculptures by Anaitté Vaccaro, and a prominent utility structure wrapped in a mural by local artist Bryane Broadie. The ground plane is animated by sinuous pathways and a vibrant, 14,000+ square foot custom painted mural that reflects the community’s identity and brings a bold visual character to the plaza.
The large-scale pavement mural effectively extends the civic space into the adjacent parking lot. A striking teal background is anchored by a series of island-like light blue ellipses, activated by bold sets of angular blue and green rays, and accented by playful purple chevrons located at key entry points. This unifying design allows the parking lot to also be easily closed and transformed into an extended public space for events such as farmers markets and festivals.
Together, these elements create a lively and welcoming public realm—one that fosters social interaction, artistic expression, and a strong sense of belonging. This new open space will serve as a lasting civic asset for Prince George’s County and a testament to the power of meaningful community engagement paired with thoughtful, inclusive design.
This design-build project was a model for arts-infused social entrepreneurship. Graham Projects not only served as a collaborative design consultant to Design Collective, but later helped construct the plaza as a subcontractor to the general contractor J. Vinton Schafer Construction. As the pavement mural installer for this state-commission project, Graham Projects was able to put nine artists to work getting paid prevailing wages.
Project partners: Design Collective, J. Vinton Schafer Construction, Maryland Stadium Authority, Prince George’s County
Design Team: Lead Designer: Graham Coreil-Allen, Production Designs: Zoe Roane-Hopkins
Graham Projects installation team: Graham Coreil-Allen, Melvin Jadulang, Liam Arbeiter, Mar Braxton, Maurice McCrimmon, Lydia Milano, Claire Pomykala, and Zoe Roane-Hopkins, and JaVon Townsend.
