Come see what the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has planned for Rumsey Pool –and check out the second floor, which has been added back to the design after community outcry.
DPR and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) will host a community meeting to discuss the latest concept design for the Rumsey Aquatic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in the North Hall at Eastern Market (255 Seventh St. SE) from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The design has already been submitted to both the District’s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and the Federal Commission on Fine Arts (CFA). Both bodies must approve the design before construction. CFA is expected to review the designs at a meeting Jan. 15, the day after the community meeting; the design is on the HPRB agenda for Jan. 22.
The biggest project by budget currently underway under the DPR portfolio, the $37 million renovation of Rumsey Pool kicked off last winter and has been through two community meetings as it enters the design phase. DPR Project Manager Brent Sisco said the survey they conducted on community needs received one of the biggest responses DPR has ever seen, with over 1100 responses. “It was incredible,” he said.
The pool will be demolished and a new building including a senior center and other facilities such as a tech lounge or indoor fitness center could be included.
It is the third community meeting on the project and the first held since March 13, 2025. At that meeting, the project team told the community that costs for the project limited construction to a single floor. The announcement surprised the assembled, including the Office of Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6-D), who had successfully pushed to add an additional $15 million to the project budget to include the second story.
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) submitted a letter and petition to DPR requesting the team draft a design that incorporates a second floor. In December, the project team submitted plans to the District’s Historic Preservation Office (HPO).
Plans
The first floor plans as submitted include an eight-lane pool and a kiddie pool with adjacent office space; a multipurpose room, men’s and women’s locker rooms. Bathrooms are indicated off the lobby near the kiddie pool; It is unclear if restrooms are included in the locker rooms in the drawings.
On the second floor there is a large multipurpose room, a small fitness room, a “collaborative” room, a senior center and washrooms in addition to utility and storage spaces. An overlook spaces gives views of North Carolina Avenue.
Community Response
Asked by Commissioner Sam Pastore (6B05) at the Jan. 13 meeting how much wiggle room there was in the current designs, Kimberly Kennedy from the Office of Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) said that “he [Allen] is always trying to make it better, but I do believe he’s getting to where he may have most of what we wasked for. I’m not sure how much more… what else coud be asked for that hasn’t already been discussed.”
However, Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) Chair Chuck Burger said adjustments were not only still possible, but needed, referencing discussions among EMCAC, residents and businesses. Capitol Hill has a lack of space, he said, and Rumsey will be the largest multi-use facility in the neighborhood, meaning it is important to get it right.
Burger pointed in particular to the exterior of the buildng. The design of the plaza in front of the building needs to be worked out, he said, in particular around lighting. The alley between the pool and the market building can be designed to facilitate uses by the market. There can be additional street-level activation along the C Street SE side of the lot, he added, as well as on the largely flat roof. And finally, he said, the RFP calls for an incubator space which he said has not been directly addressed in the final design.
The design process was expected to last a year to 18 months and to close sometime in early 2027 for demolition and then construction of the new facility. A year ago, the project was expected to be finished in early 2027 but given the changed plans and need for two more meetings and permitting, the finish line is likely pushed back further towards 2028.
The DPR team anticipated at least five community meetings will take place to discuss the project, meaning at least two more are expected. But given the submission of plans to HPO and CFA, the January community meeting could be a key turning point in the process. www.dgs.dc.gov/page/rumsey-aquatic-center
