5220 16th Street, NW

Thanks to T. for sending from the National Park Service:

“National Park Service Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Rock Creek Tennis Center

The National Park Service (NPS) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) for a lease of the Rock Creek Tennis Center located within the Rock Creek National Park. The NPS is seeeking an operator that will continue to operate the Tennis Center in a manner that will provide for recreational activites within the leased area. Details of the

The area being considered for lease is approximately 38.9 acres and consists of a 7,500-seat tennis stadium, 10 outdoor hard surface courts, 15 outdoor clay courts, a snack bar and pro shop, an office area, recreation fields, picnic areas, and a parking lot that can accomodate 856 vehicles.

Additional details of the area being considered for lease can be found in the RFP. A link to the RFP is provided below.

Site Visit

The NPS will hold a site visit on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Additional dates and times may be added if necessary. All parties interested in attending this site visit should RSVP no later than Monday, December 22, 2025, by 5:00pm ET via email to [email protected] or through the link here.

Please include “ROCR Tennis Center Site Visit” in the subject line of your email.”

Rock Creek Conservancy sent out a message regarding this:

“The Initiative and RFP

On Wednesday, December 17, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a request for proposals (RFP) to manage, through a new lease opportunity, the majority of the Brightwood Recreation Complex, including the Rock Creek tennis stadium and tennis courts, four sports fields, Picnic Groves #23 and #24, and all the adjacent parking lots.

NPS states that it is seeking a private developer who will use these Rock Creek parklands “for any and all legal purposes that are usual and customary in the operation of a tennis center, including a stadium, and tennis-related facilities and events, including the operation and provision of related or incidental services such as retail shops, food and beverage sales, training facilities, and professional tennis tournaments.”

Most of the nearly 40 acres are currently used by the local community for running, hiking, picnicking, baseball, and football, and not exclusively for tennis. The RFP states that the new private developers “may” use these facilities “for the recreational purposes for which they have customarily been utilized.”

Proposals must be submitted by January 20, 2026. NPS suggested it will take only a couple weeks to select its preferred applicant. It will then negotiate a multi-decade lease with that preferred applicant in less than 30 days and by March 1.

The community will likely not learn the contents of the lease until it has been executed, and no part of the DC government (e.g. the Mayor’s Office or DC Council) is formally involved in the selection of a lessee.

An Opportunity to be Involved

The NPS will hold a site visit on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Rock Creek Conservancy highly encourages members of our community who are interested in these developments to attend.

If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP no later than Monday, December 22, 2025 at 5:00pm ET via email to [email protected] or through the link here. If you use the email option, please include “ROCR Tennis Center Site Visit” in the subject line.

If you plan to attend, I’d love it if you would reply to this email so that I can be aware of your presence and try to hear your thoughts afterwards.

This is the only confirmed opportunity for the community to hear directly from NPS about the lease opportunity. There is no public comment opportunity.

The Conservancy’s Commitment

There is much left unsaid in the RFP about how the Brightwood Recreation Complex may change or evolve under this new lease opportunity. The Conservancy sincerely hopes that the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service will provide more opportunities for DC residents to voice their hopes and aspirations for Brightwood Recreation Complex before a lease is signed or a new plan for the site is adopted.

Whatever the outcome, Rock Creek Conservancy stands ready to work with the National Park Service and a new lessee to ensure that the park’s natural features and historic character are protected, that diverse recreational opportunities remain available to the community, and that the park’s endangered wildlife is not threatened.

Thank you for your commitment to Rock Creek and to the Conservancy. Our work is only possible through your support.

Have a wonderful holiday season,

Dan Puskar Executive Director

Rock Creek Conservancy”