The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation closed the indoor basketball court at the recently opened Anacostia Recreation Center at Ketcham because incorrect HVAC settings warped the court’s floor.
The department said in an alert Tuesday that it corrected the HVAC issues and is “continuing the required repair, which falls under warranty.” Officials expect to complete the work by mid-November and will keep the court closed until then, according to the alert.
Other parts of the center, which include a fitness center, classroom, multipurpose room and kitchen, remain open to the public while the repairs continue.
The center, initially proposed in 2020, opened to the public in February after construction began in 2023. The project’s budget was $16 million to build the 15,000-square-foot facility next to Ketcham Elementary School.
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The facility was intended to provide an indoor gymnasium that the school could use, according to plan documents. Ketcham Elementary is under renovation for the next two school years, and students and staff have been relocated across the street to its designated swing space at 1409 V St. SE.
Jamila White, chairperson of the Ward 8A Advisory Neighborhood Commission, flagged the basketball court’s closure on social media Tuesday morning, asking how a “brand-new $16M facility” closes.
“$16M spent. 6 months open,” White’s post said. “Now the Anacostia Rec Center gym is closed because the floor buckled. It’s been almost a month with no reopening timeline. 30+ young people are outside daily with little to no programming.”
The Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of General Services referred to the alert when asked to comment. The Parks and Recreation department did not specify when the basketball court was closed.
D.C. Public Schools referred to the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of General Services when asked to comment.
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