Redevelopment of Rock Creek Tennis Courts- how to destroy a community resource
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
The National Park Service request for proposals to long-term lease and develop the Tennis Center and surrounding parkland and forest is not yet out, but expected momentarily -- with an expected short turnaround during the holidays.
In the meantime, there is an opportunity to comment, by Dec 19, on the idea of adding the capacity for large scale tennis tournaments to the ongoing RFK development, which has the needed transportation capabilities - https://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=147665 . |
Anonymous
|
The National Park Service request for proposals (RFP) to long-term lease and develop the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center and surrounding parkland and forest is not yet out, but expected momentarily -- with an expected short turnaround during the holidays. It’s unclear whether the public can comment directly on RFPs.
In the meantime, there is an opportunity to comment, by Dec 19, on the idea of adding the capacity for large-scale tennis tournaments to the ongoing RFK development, which critically already has the needed transportation infrastructure - https://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=147665 . |
Anonymous
|
A response from Council Member Janeese Lewis. Sounds like the DC council is also surprised by the recent turn of events
Hi all, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George believes that it is vital that the Sixteenth Street Heights and Crestwood communities are engaged about the future of Carter Barron, and like many of you, she is deeply frustrated at hearing a report that this land may be given away to developers. Neither she nor the Council had any knowledge of any development plans that would hand the tennis center complex over to developers, which would fly in the face of the agreement that the District had in place with the National Park Service to transfer the tennis center to the city. The Councilmember supported funding to repair the tennis center so that the community can continue to use the facilities and so DC does not lose the Citi Open. She has consistently voiced skepticism of the Mayor's proposals to fund an Olympic-size swimming pool that our community is not asking for. The future of Carter Barron needs to center what our community wants and must ensure public access to improved facilities. Unfortunately, the report our office heard is that Trump is planning to turn all National Park Service land in the District over for development through an RFP process. This would not only jeopardize the future of Carter Barron, but also Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, Hains Point, and more. NPS land does not belong to Trump – it belongs to all of us. It is an affront to the mission of the NPS, which was established to safeguard natural, cultural, and historic resources for future generations, to hand these precious landmarks over to the highest bidder. This report is of deep concern to Councilmember Lewis George, and as chair of the Facilities Committee, she will be fighting to protect these precious D.C. landmarks. This is yet another afront to our local economy and it must not stand! As we learn more, we’ll be sharing updates on this important matter with the community. |
Anonymous
Where is your link for this? |
Anonymous
The National Park Service land belongs to all of us, but Carter Barron should be "centered" to serve the residents of the District? |
Anonymous
|
No, it is a national park so it serves all Americans, but residents of the DMV benefit the most. The picnic areas and nature trails are enjoyed by residents from Maryland and Virginia as well. But the local residents will be impacted by any plans to redevelop the site. And the natural beauty of the park will be altered by having a massive sports complex next to nature trails. The park is a refuge for those of us who live in the city.
Trump wants to take National Park land and open it all up for redevelopment. He is starting with DC first because the Federal government has oversight. He could decide to build a casino in Anacostia or the Grand Canyon just like he decided to demolish half the White House. Trump does what he wants. |
Anonymous
Anonymous
| Join a country club. |
Anonymous
|
Here is link to you tube showing blue paint being dumped by workers at the tournament in July 2022. More development right next to the park could result in more problems.
The process of transferring this land is highly suspect. Neighbors are okay with changes and improvement but not okay with this process. Rock Creek park is a natural treasure and such a unique feature of DC. Move the tournament to RFK instead. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ybb236n8yXY |
Anonymous
Anonymous
|
Try this link
https://wapo.st/4907MCt |
Anonymous
|
Link to the RFP:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/nps_rfp_rocr_tennis_center.htm From the RFP: Site Visit The NPS will hold a site visit on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Additional dates and times may be added if necessary. All parties interested in attending this site visit should RSVP no later than Monday, December 22, 2025, by 5:00pm ET via email to NPSNCRLeasing@nps.gov or through the link here. Please include "ROCR Tennis Center Site Visit" in the subject line of your email. |
Anonymous
|
Here is quick summary of some of the issues regarding Rock Creek Tennis Court redevelopment. Council Woman Lewis-George's office confirmed that as of now THERE WILL NOT BE A POO! This is the one part of the plan that DC residents actually like and support!!
1. DC had expected to take control of Carter Barron this year. Instead, the National Park Service will lease the land directly to developer, Mark Ein, preventing the DC government or DC residents from taking part in the process. As of March 1st 2026, the park will be transferred to Mark Ein who will be able to develop the land with limited oversight if they invest twenty five million dollars. The five week time line for this process is highly unusual and raises some questions about the fairness of the process. Typically the comment period and bidding process can take up to a year. Here is an article from the WaPo which has more details 2. There is not going to be a pool. This idea was included in an initial proposal.However, it died after the DC council rejected a three million dollar request for a feasibility study. The council did budget nine million dollars needed for immediate repairs to the stadium but this money will now be reallocated. What amenities will be added? Well, according the RFP, the developer must invest twenty-five million dollars, of which around half will be spent on making repairs to the stadium. The remaining fifteen million dollars is not enough to build a pool or a decent community center. The developer's primary focus is on their ROI, not creating a nice park for us. Playgrounds,pools and picnic areas do not generate revenue. 3. The council has not scheduled a community meeting because they are still gathering facts. But we need a meeting sooner rather than later due to the limited time line we have to discuss the proposal. There is much we could discuss, such as the typical planning and bidding process. 4. There is a site meeting December 23rd at noon if you are interested in learning more. Here is the petition if you want to sign https://www.change.org/p/stop-rock-creek-park-tennis-sports-complex-development?recruiter=2393795&recruited_by_id=b37ad064-608a-4483-b2eb-87a1e15321de&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_promote_or_share&utm_term=psf&utm_medium=facebook&utm_content=fht-490918014-en-us%3A0 |
Anonymous
| I don’t know Ein, but he is local and he’s seems to care about DC. All of his projects seem to be of high quality and contribute to the economic and employment health of the city. Rock Creek Park is vast and there are hundreds of acres that we almost no use. At a time when our financial health is fairly dire this actually seems like a welcome development. |