Mayor Bowser Celebrates Major Milestone in Southeast Tennis and Learning Center Expansion with Ceremonial Bridge Beam Signing

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the Department of General Services (DGS), the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Former DC First Lady and Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (SETLC) Founder and CEO Cora Masters Barry, and members of the community to celebrate a major construction milestone in the SETLC expansion with a ceremonial bridge beam signing. Together, the Mayor and members of the SETLC community marked the placement of the final structural beam in a 94,000-pound, 164-foot-long bridge over Oxon Run stream that will connect the existing center to the new facility, uniting the campus and expanding access for DC residents. The project, which is expected to be completed this summer, will transform the existing campus into a premier destination tennis facility in the District, capable of hosting U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) sanctioned international junior tennis tournaments.

"Our professional teams aren't the only reason DC is the Sports Capital - it's also about the investments we're making in our young athletes," said Mayor Bowser. "For more than 20 years, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center has helped bring the joy of tennis and sport to thousands of kids from all eight wards. And with this expansion, we'll be able to reach more young people in DC and welcome athletes from across the country to a world-class tennis facility."

This $23 million expansion of the SETLC will create a state-of-the-art campus designed to serve residents of all ages. It will add six outdoor hard courts, one outdoor clay-tech court, four new outdoor USTA courts, three new indoor USTA courts, and four pickleball courts, as well as an event plaza, playground, parking area, and outdoor shade structure. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification and meet the District's standards for Net Zero buildings, the fully electric, expanded facility reflects a forward-looking investment in recreation, sustainability, and community.

"As a crown jewel in Ward 8, SETLC reflects what we mean when we say DGS builds what matters," said DGS Director Delano Hunter. "This expansion delivers on the District's commitment to sustainability and world-class recreation, creating a space to shape the next generation of champions."

This expansion represents a significant investment in recreation East of the River and advances the Bowser Administration's commitment to providing high-quality recreation spaces that support youth development, athletics, and community engagement.

"Today's beam signing represents an important milestone for this project and for the community it serves," said DPR Director Thennie Freeman. "This expansion strengthens the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center's role as a hub for youth development, recreation, and opportunity. By connecting the new facility to the existing campus, we are building the foundation for a world-class environment where young people can learn, play, and thrive for generations to come."

Since opening in 2001, through the vision and leadership of SETLC Founder and CEO Cora Masters Barry, the SETLC has served more than 75,000 District youth, offering tennis instruction alongside tutoring and life skills programming for residents of all ages.

"When this center was first imagined, it was about access, opportunity, and excellence," said SETLC Founder and CEO Cora Masters Barry. "Today, with this expansion, we are opening doors beyond our borders - proving that greatness can rise from right here and be recognized around the world." The SETLC expansion is part of Mayor Bowser's broader investment in recreation infrastructure across the District-with more than $100 million invested in Ward 8 recreation facilities over the past decade and more than $600 million citywide.

This investment goes hand in hand with the Bowser Administration's free and low-cost year-round DPR programming, which ensures DC youth have safe and productive opportunities to learn, play, and grow in all eight wards. In Fiscal Year 2025 alone, DPR offered more than 1,700 programs for kids ages 3-17, serving more than 21,500 participants. DPR's Roving Leaders Program hosted 61 special events for at-risk and hard-to-reach youth, engaging with more than 25,000 participants. And the District's Late Night Hypes, Holiday Hypes, and Late Night Drips-teen and family-focused late-night events-served more than 14,000 participants. Additionally, DPR's Rec for All Grants, which fund other organizations to do programming to reach youth that do not come to DPR recreation centers, funded 87 grants at almost $1.7 million, serving more than 3,500 youth.

DPR recently announced a full slate of free spring break programming from Saturday, April 11 through Saturday, April 18. View a full list of events and register now at dprspringbreak.splashthat.com.

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