Dedicated Courts Coming Soon
Dedicated Courts in Southeast
Court renderings courtesy of the Capitol Riverfront BID
WDCP is Building Five Dedicated Courts in Southeast DC In July of 2018, a group of mostly seniors from Capitol Hill began playing pickleball on an abandoned, dead-end roadway just south of Garfield Park. Robert Krughoff and Margaret Crenshaw were the driving force behind the development of these courts. In 2023, Washington DC Pickleball, in collaboration with the Capitol Riverfront BID, formed a stakeholder group to permit the road for public use through the DC Department of Transportation. After three long years of work, DDOT approved the permit, paving the way for the construction of five state-of-the-art pickleball courts with semi-permanent nets. The Krughoff Pickleball Center will ensure access to open free play on dedicated courts.
We need your help to bring the Krughoff Pickleball Center to life. Our goal is to raise $75,000 by March 2026. Funds raised will cover the cost of court surfacing and painting/ lining, semi-permanent nets, barriers, a storage container, and other features as well as ongoing maintenance. All donations will be collected and processed by Washington DC Pickleball - a 501 (c) (3) organization - and transferred to the BID for payment.
We Need Your Help
Robert Krughoff on the Courts he helped create in 2020
An Advisory Committee has been established, consisting of representatives from all major stakeholders, including players from Garfield Park, Friends of Garfield Park, Capitol Hill Village, the office of Councilmember Allen, and ANC 6B. This committee is tasked with gathering community input and overseeing all legal and operational matters related to the Center. The Advisory Board will be led by Washington DC Pickleball and the Business Improvement District (BID), while the courts will be managed by Washington DC Pickleball with support from the BID. Additionally, the courts will be named in memory of Robert Krughoff.
Community Input
The Garfield Players with Margaret Crenshaw (seated on the right) in 2020
Timeline and Construction
Work on the Pickleball Courts will begin after the completion of the Garfield Connector Project. The Connector is a DC-funded project that creates a safe pathway under the 295 overpass and encourages interaction between Capitol Hill communities, stretching from Garfield Park to Navy Yard. Construction started in August 2025 and is expected to last about six months. Virginia Avenue, where the courts will be located, will be milled and repaved at the end of the project. Once the asphalt cures, the pickleball courts will be surfaced, painted, and lined by a professional contractor. Semi-permanent nets will be installed, and a storage bin will be provided for additional equipment. The targeted completion date is expected to be April 2026.
The Courts created by Robert and the Garfield Players