A Look at the Proposed Anacostia Recreation Center
✉️ Want to forward this article? Click here.
![](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2021/06/anarec-prom1200.jpg)
The design for a large new recreation center in Anacostia is coming into focus.
The DC Department of General Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation have commissioned a new rec center adjacent to Ketcham Elementary School. Architect DLR Group filed a conceptual review application with DC's Historic Preservation Review Board this week for the neighborhood amenity at 1929 15th Street SE (map). While it would be a public facility, it would also prioritize ease of access for the students at Ketcham.
story continues below
story continues above
![](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2021/06/anarec-site.jpg)
The proposed development would start with creation of a pedestrian promenade between the school and the recreation center, lined with seating and replacing the stretch of U Street that dead-ends at the site.
An early-childhood playground and a playground for 5-12 year olds, both using biophilic and accessible design elements, would be interior to the site, followed by a multi-use play field or a field area surrounded by an exercise track and flanked with bleacher seating. The development would also include upgrades to Ketcham's outdoor classroom and fencing.
![](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2021/06/anarec-15th1200.jpg)
The rec center will include a gym, a fitness room, a demonstration kitchen, multipurpose rooms, locker rooms/restrooms, and a "technology lounge." The design of the building is intended to be "aspirational" and will primarily use wood veneer cladding with a brick base. Its massing will also slant downward to transition from the taller school and the rowhouses on the other side.
![](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2021/06/anarec-bird1200.jpg)
![](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2021/06/anarec-bird-var1200.jpg)
The team may also decide to pursue a zoning variance to get relief from penthouse setback requirements, in which case the penthouse would extend above the gym. The site is also recommended for phased archaeological excavation prior to any new construction.
See other articles related to: anacostia, anacostia historic district, department of general services, department of parks and recreation, dgs, dlr group, dpr, historic preservation review board, recreation center
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a-look-at-the-proposed-anacostia-recreation-center/18418.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
![How Can Parents Transfer Real Estate to Their Children?](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2023/03/resized/transfer_image_560x420.jpeg)
In this article, UrbanTurf will explore some of the more common methods that parents ... read »
![Stalled Or Full Steam Ahead: The 3 Developments In The Tenleytown and AU Park Pipeline](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2025/02/resized/broadcast_image_560x420.jpg)
The development pipeline in the Tenleytown and AU Park neighborhoods has dwindled in ... read »
![148-Unit Double Winged Apartment Building Pitched In Silver Spring](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2025/02/resized/sonina_image_560x420.jpg)
A large new apartment project is in the works for the Long Branch section of Silver S... read »
![Mortgage Rates Inch Down For 4th Week In A Row](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2025/02/resized/Mortgage%20rate%20chart_02-13_image_560x420.jpg)
Long-term rates have now fallen incrementally for the last few weeks.... read »
![Slow Start: DC-Area Home Buyers, Sellers Cautious To Start 2025](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2025/02/resized/912-east_image_560x420.jpg)
The housing market is off to a slow start this year.... read »
- How Can Parents Transfer Real Estate to Their Children?
- Stalled Or Full Steam Ahead: The 3 Developments In The Tenleytown and AU Park Pipeline
- 148-Unit Double Winged Apartment Building Pitched In Silver Spring
- Mortgage Rates Inch Down For 4th Week In A Row
- Slow Start: DC-Area Home Buyers, Sellers Cautious To Start 2025
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro