Photo by Gordon Jimson

A few years ago, NoMa wasn’t much to look at. Nowadays, it’s one of the city’s denser neighborhoods, packed with residential buildings—but not many parks. D.C. is about to invest big money in creating more green space throughout the neighborhood, though.

Mayor Vince Gray included $50 million in his proposed 2014 budget for the creation of 3-4 parks in NoMa, following through on a request from the neighborhood’s Business Improvement District. According to administration officials, $25 million will go into acquiring the necessary land—it’s expensive, after all—and $25 million towards actually developing the parks.

The investment comes after Gray gave the NoMa BID $490,000 last September for planning and development of parks in the neighborhood. At the time, BID officials said they had moved away from developing one big park and would opt instead for a network of smaller parks throughout the neighborhood.

Gray’s budget also includes money for other related projects, including $20 million to replace the Fort Dupont Ice Arena and $45 million for recreation centers, including the Southeast Tennis Learning Center.