Under bright sunshine, a crowd gathered outside Fort Dupont Ice Arena the morning of Dec. 8, cheering as local leaders marked the reopening of the District’s only indoor ice rink. For more than two years, the arena had been closed for renovations. Families arrived early, skates in hand, bundled against the cold and eager to step back onto home ice.
“DuPont ice skating rink has been a jewel for Ward 7 for a very long time,” Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder (D) told the crowd. “For years, it has drawn hundreds of children from Ward seven and beyond, the hockey teams, skating lessons and more, making ice sports accessible to neighbors who might not have had access otherwise and I’m proud to say that after successful renovations, this arena can now continue to serve our community for years to come.”
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History
Built by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1976, Fort Dupont Ice Arena was a rare recreational resource east of the Anacostia River. The Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Area, which revived the rink in the mid 1990s after NPS contemplated closure.
By 2013, the rink was in the District’s portfolio but needed repairs. FFDIA and the District came together to plan renovations. That agreement faced rifts, first when the city reduced the size of the rink from two to one sheet of ice in 2021. FFDIA said construction costs were too high, comparing them to a New York City high rise. A compromise was reached and the rink closed for construction in February 2023.
This year, as construction neared completion, there were reports of moisture in the building and bumps on the ice. FFDIA declined to sign a proposed ground lease to manage, maintain and program the building, citing liability issues.
The District Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has now stepped in as operator — the first time the agency has managed an ice facility.
Still, on Saturday, the mood was overwhelmingly celebratory.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, wearing skates and accompanied by her daughter, thanked the parents and coaches who kept programs going while the building was shuttered. “I want to thank all of the families that stuck with the skating program and made sure that our teams are great,” she said.
“We Got Ice, Ice Baby!”
DPR Director Thennie Freeman, wearing an ice-blue sequined blazer and skates, beamed beside an ice sculpture of the agency’s logo, place on stage in front of the new building façade. “We got ‘Ice, Ice Baby’!” she noted in her opening remarks, referencing the 1990s hit by rap artist Vanilla Ice.
She thanked her staff and the Department of General Services (DGS), which managed construction. “The Mayor had three words for me,” Freeman said. “Get it done.”
After her inaugural skate, the DPR Director acknowledged “misinformation that was circulating around” regarding the building’s systems and the status of the ice surface earlier this year, but stressed confidence in the work done. “This was never a problem,” she said. “We were always confident, in our ability —DGS’s ability to build and DPR’s ability to program.”
Freeman acknowledged that this would be the first time DPR managed an ice arena. But she pointed to the diverse kinds of programming that DPR already leads, including at 37 aquatic centers, 80 pools, 20 dog parks, multiple urban gardens and now, one ice rink. “we’re just proud that Mayor Bowser trusts us with these investments and we’re able to put them to good use,” the DPR Director said. “We’re here, we’re open, and we’re ready to serve.”
“The most important thing is community and creating opportunities for the community, and we’ve done that… We got ice! And we got an arena.”
DGS Director Delano Hunter called it the culmination of years of persistence. “This was easily 30 years in the making,” he said. “And… it’s very gratifying.”
He said the arena meets modern sustainability standards and that safeguards are in place if anything doesn’t perform as designed. “We have multiple layers of protection,” Hunter said, including warranties and “a third-party independent analysis” underway.
A Ward 7 Hub Again
Fort Dupont’s location — steps from homes in East-of-the-River neighborhoods — has always been part of its mission. Felder said the new facility should pull residents from across the District while staying rooted here. “If you live in Ward 7, you can take advantage of it. If you don’t live in the ward, this facility gives you a reason to come over to the ward,” he said.
He’ll be among the regulars. “This was my third time skating,” Felder joked, “and for me to be doing as well as I can tell I’m doing, just imagine how much practice I’ll be able to put in. Who knows? With the world class facility, it may produce a world class ice skating figure someday.”
When asked if that meant a future as a “world-class ice skating councilmember,” he replied without hesitation: “Yes!”
Ribbon, Mascots, and a Full Rink
After the speeches concluded, families streamed inside to find hot chocolate, popcorn and hot dogs waiting at the concession stand. Families lined up for free rental skates at the equipment window.
A short performance by District Ice figure skater Anastasia Christy brought the first blades of the day to the newly resurfaced sheet. Soon after, Freeman, Bowser — joined on the ice by her daughter, Councilmembers Henderson and Felder gathered at center rink with children and mascots dressed as Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Frozen. With cheers rising from around the boards, the ribbon was cut and skaters flooded onto the ice.
Young skaters clung to the boards in careful steps. Hockey players tested quick turns. Parents snapped photos and laughed when their balance gave out. After years of silence, the sound of blades cutting ice returned to Fort Dupont.
10-year-old Sylvia is a Ward 7 resident. She said she learned to skate at Fort Dupont Ice Arena before the pandemic. “I think the ice is nice and the music is very good,” she said as she stepped back onto the surface.
“The ice is a little scary, but once you get used to it, it gets easier and easier,” Lauren said, encouraging people to come try it out. She and her two younger sisters came as part of the DPR Cheerleading squad, which provided extra energy during the ribbon-cutting. The teenager said that while she’s never taken lessons, she’s been on the ice at Fort Dupont before and “it is always fun,” she said.
Community Voices and What Comes Next
For hyperlocal representatives, the arena’s success will be measured not just by fresh paint and new systems — but by who gets access.
ANC 7F02 Commissioner Ashley Renee Ruff, whose single-member district includes neighborhoods north of the park, said she values the arena. But she said that the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena (FFDIA) were the reason it had served a longtime role as a launchpad for local kids, providing after school programs, tutoring and more. “It gives a lot of jobs, it gives a lot of one-on-one training with our Black youth that are in projects across the street,” she said. “You get to watch people’s kids grow up. You get to help them advance, and… to actually be lawyers, doctors, teachers — people that give back to the community.”
She praised the restored facility — “It’s a nice center, period” — but also expressed her preference for returning to the former operating structure. “I would like to see, you know, our Friends of Fort Dupont back in power.”
Even on opening day, that tension hovered. There were no representatives of FFDIA at the opening, although this was a celebration built on years of community investment — and questions remain about that legacy under new management.
Still, Saturday belonged to the ice and the community that gathered on top of its slippery surface.
As she watched families glide by, Freeman stood in her own skates and watched. “Look at this,” she said. “This is day one, hour one. Can you imagine?”
