Media Only Contact: John A. Stokes, (202) 673-2195 (DPR)
This week the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) began construction of competition-quality, premier athletic fields at four DPR locations across the District in partnership with the District’s Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization. The new premier athletic fields will be at Banneker Community Center, 2500 Georgia Ave, NW; Fort Stanton Community Center, 1812 Erie St., SE; Ridge Road Recreation Center, 800 Ridge Rd., SE; and Riggs LaSalle Community Center, 501 Riggs Rd., NE.
“Construction of these new premier athletic fields is another great example of DPR’s efforts to move the agency forward and raise the quality and expectations of what a DPR athletic field can be in the District," said Clark E. Ray, DPR Director. "These fields will soon be hosting athletes of all ages and will become a new benchmark for what a DPR competition-quality athletic field can be.”
Each of DPR’s premier athletic fields will feature either a new ‘Patriot’ bermudagrass natural turf playing surface or a new FieldTurf artificial turf playing surface, with inlaid game lines and markings. Details of each location’s new premier athletic fields are:
- Banneker Community Center: ‘Patriot’ bermudagrass, natural turf. 90-foot baseball diamond.
- Fort Stanton Community Center ‘Patriot’ bermudagrass, natural turf. 60-foot baseball diamond.
- Ridge Road Recreation Center: FieldTurf, artificial turf. Multiple fields: 60-foot baseball diamond, multipurpose football/soccer field.
- Riggs LaSalle Community Center: FieldTurf, artificial turf. Multiple fields: Multipurpose football/soccer field, 60-foot baseball diamond, and 90-foot baseball diamond. Both baseball diamonds will also feature colored infield cut-outs, using brown turf along the base paths and a combination of green and brown colored turf in the interior of the infield.
Additional improvements and amenities will also be made at each site which can include fencing, lighting, bleachers and seating, dugouts, press boxes, and on-site storage
Work has already begun at Fort Stanton and the field has been closed. Work is scheduled to begin and fields close at Riggs LaSalle and Ridge Road on July 28. Work at Banneker is scheduled to begin on August 2.
According to Joshua McPherson, DPR’s Manager of Athletic Field Maintenance, bermudagrass is an ideal grass for DPR’s premier athletic fields as it is warm-season grass which thrives in Washington’s weather, and grows very rapidly from mid-spring to mid-fall. Bermudagrass is drought and heat tolerant, resistant to most pests, and holds up well to heavy use year-round. The new bermudagrass fields will become more whitish-brown in color during the dormant growing season than the current grass, but this color change is actually a sign of a healthy bermudagrass field.
Opening dates of the new premier athletic fields has not yet been determined, but it is anticipated the fields will open for use in fall 2008 and spring 2009.
The construction of these four new premier athletic fields is in addition to the field work currently underway at Fort Stevens Recreation Center, 1327 Van Buren St. NW. The installation of a new ‘Patriot’ bermudagrass field at Fort Stevens began in June, and the new field is scheduled to be ready for play in early fall 2008.
Select the link below to view an index of DPR's Premier Athletic Field Projects: