Coming Summer 2026
The Robert M. Krughoff Pickleball Center
WDCP has been helping to build five new pickleball courts in Southeast DC. In July 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.
Court renderings courtesy of the Capitol Riverfront BID
Robert Krughoff on the Courts he helped create in 2018
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.
Community Input
The Garfield Players with Margaret Crenshaw (seated on the right) in 2020
Timeline and Construction
Work on the Pickleball Courts is part of 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 has already begun. Virginia Avenue, where the courts are to be located, will be 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 June 2026.
The Courts created by Robert and the Garfield Players