It’s not completed by any means, but the west side of Wilkins Plaza is scheduled to open to pedestrian traffic on Monday, May 3, for the first time in a year. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, pedestrians will be able to walk from the Mason Pond Parking Deck, past the newly renovated clock and all the way to Southside without obstruction.
There is still plenty to do, as the plaza is part of the larger Core Campus Project.
The traffic circle between the Mason Pond Parking Deck and Wilkins Plaza will be converted to a new outdoor event area, and construction fencing will be erected there during the week of May 3. An accessible entrance to the deLaski Performing Arts Building will be available on the south side of the building.
There will also be fencing along the north side of the plaza in front of Robinson B, which is being demolished, around the soon-to-be-functioning fountain, and where the memorial to the Enslaved People of George Mason will be constructed.
But the plaza’s reopening marks a notable step in the reimagining of the center of the Fairfax Campus.