(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and community members celebrated the grand opening of the new Arboretum Community Center, located at 2412 Rand Place, NE. The community center is adjacent to the US National Arboretum, on District-owned land in the heart of the Arboretum neighborhood.
“Once just a small field house in the backdrop of the National Arboretum, the new 8,000-square-foot Arboretum Community Center is now a destination in itself,” said Mayor Bowser. “We’re grateful to the community for working with us to get this done, our team at DGS for building a beautiful and energy-efficient facility, and DPR who will be welcoming the Ward 5 community with fantastic programming for people of all ages.”
The Arboretum Community Center, originally built in the late 1960s, received a $10.8 million renovation that included the modernization of the existing facility as well as an addition that grew the space from 1,400 square feet to 8,000 square feet. The new community center now includes a fitness center, multipurpose space, tech lounge, community room, community garden, outdoor patio, new amphitheater with seating and more.
“The Arboretum Community Center in Ward 5 has served District residents for nearly 60 years and we are excited to make this upgrade come to fruition,” said Department of General Services (DGS) Director Keith A. Anderson. “The work we have performed here takes into consideration the historic factors and importance of this fantastic site while also increasing sustainability features.”
Initial discussions to revitalize the facility were held in October 2015, and the Arboretum Community Center was added to the historic registry in 2019 by the DC Office of Planning and Historic Preservation. The renovation also included the addition of energy and sustainability features, including the Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) first use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and a green roof. The Arboretum Community Center meets ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ (LEED) Silver standards, set forth by the US Green Building Council.
“DPR is proud to have worked with the Arboretum community, ANC 5C, the Arboretum Civic Association, and the National Arboretum to develop this fantastic new community center,” said DPR Director Delano Hunter. “This new facility is designed to provide the highest level of recreational offerings available to District residents while also providing a safe and welcoming environment for the community.”
Since 2015, Mayor Bowser has invested over $376 million to improve the District’s recreation centers and the Mayor’s FY23 budget includes $462 million over the next six years to construct and modernize parks, recreation facilities, and libraries. These investments will fully fund all remaining library modernizations and improve many recreation centers, including a new Crummell Community Center and modernized Langdon Park Community Center. These investments also include three new dog parks at Oxon Run, Texas Avenue, SE, and Palisades, as well as a new indoor pool at the Hillcrest Recreation Center.
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