December 1, 2016 Update We recognize that the stairs at the indoor pool were not finished correctly by our contractor and in order to make the repairs we will need to close the indoor pool. The indoor pool will be CLOSED Monday, December 26 through Saturday, December 31. The pool will reopen on Sunday, January 1. If for some reason we are not able to reopen on the Sunday, January 1, members will be notified via email, text and an update posted on our website. While there are a number of outstanding items still open on our renovation punch list we want you to know that our contractor is continuing to work on the open items and we have a target date of December 31 to complete all of these items. We hope that you are enjoying the renovated facilities and we thank you for your patience as we continue to improve the JCC. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions (mfeinstein@benderjccgw.org).

September 22, 2016 Update

I am very excited to report that the renovated indoor pool and adult locker rooms are substantially complete and have passed county inspection. They will be open for use tomorrow, Friday, September 23rd at NOON. As a result, the outdoor pool will close for the season this Sunday, September 25th at 6pm.
Here are the highlights of renovated pool and locker rooms:
Indoor Pool
You will find:
  • New floor and ceiling tile, brighter lights, better water circulation, showers on the deck and air conditioning
  • Handicapped access buttons on all doors in and out of the pool
 Locker Rooms (now for adults 18 years or older only)
You will find:
  • New non-slip tile floors, new full and half-size lockers, an additional shower, better traffic flow, improved air circulation, more dressing areas and mirrors
  • Handicapped access buttons from the fitness center
  • Dedicated make-up area in women’s locker room
  • A massage room that will be open by November 1
  • Badge access is no longer required to enter the adult locker rooms from the fitness center
Still to come:
  • New saunas and steam rooms will open by the second week of October
  • New lounge areas will be completed with furniture and TVs during the third week of October
  • Shelves in the shower areas coming soon
  • Shower seats by early November
  • Punch list items that will be worked on generally after-hours
Thank you again for your patience during the renovation. I look forward to your feedback.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions (mfeinstein@benderjccgw.org).

September 14, 2016 Update

Message from Michael
If you have been in the building recently, you have seen that we have made great progress on the indoor pool and we have also made excellent progress on the locker rooms. Our contractor has been working extremely hard to meet our delivery date of September 18th despite losing two weeks early in construction due to unforeseen issues in the pool area that could not have been known until we opened the ceiling. They have made up most of that delay, but during our weekly construction meeting  yesterday they informed us that they will need a few additional days to put the finishing touches on these projects before final inspections.  While the locker rooms and indoor pool will not open as expected on Sunday, September 18th, barring any delays due to inspection, we do expect to open within the next week. As soon as we have a confirmed opening date we will communicate it with everyone. In the meantime, all aquatic activities will continue in the outdoor pool and the outdoor pool hours will remain the same as previously scheduled. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions (mfeinstein@jccgw.org). Thank you for your continued patience. I am sure you will be pleased with new locker rooms and indoor pool facilities.

July 28, 2016 Update

Message from Michael
We are in the middle of summer and the building is buzzing with campers and, again this summer, construction workers. Phase 2 of our renovation is well underway and I want to thank you for your patience and understanding through another summer of construction. In particular, I recognize the inconvenience to our fitness members and swimmers of a single set of smaller locker rooms and the unavailability of the indoor pool. I know that the family locker rooms were not designed for adults with business attire and it can be crowded at various times. As a daily user of the fitness center, I, too, have experienced these frustrations and am looking forward to moving back into the adult locker rooms which are scheduled to re-open on Sunday, September 18th along with the renovated indoor pool. Click here to continue reading.

July 6, 2016 Update

PRESS RELEASE: JCCGW Receives $6.25 Million Naming Gift From The Sondra & Howard Bender Family
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington has a new name! It’s official. What began as the Jewish Community Center of the District of Columbia and was renamed the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington over 50 years ago will now be named the Bender JCC of Greater Washington (Bender JCC), as the result of a $6.25 million gift from the Sondra and Howard Bender family to name the JCC and its early childhood center. Click here to read the full press release. Click here to read the article featured in the Washington Jewish Week

March 16, 2017 Update

We will begin the outdoor pool renovation immediately after the pool closes in September with a plan to open it much earlier in 2018 as our renovation plans include heating the pool.
The outdoor pool area has been completely redesigned within its current footprint and we are very excited about all of the new features which include:
  • A new splash pad that will replace the kiddie pool
  • Zero degree beach entry in the shallow end with a range of water features for children of all ages and abilities
  • The “well” area (deep end) will be shallower, but still support the slide and water walking/jogging
  • Lap lanes will support starting blocks for swim meets
  • The pool will be heated, allowing us to greatly extend lap swimming through the fall and begin in the early spring (actual schedules to be finalized based on weather)
  • New pool furniture
For this coming summer:
  • Members and guests will be able to enter the playground from the pool area
  • A new snack bar will offer food, snacks and drinks
We are renovating the playground next to the pool this spring and it will be available for the summer (schedule to be set outside of Camp JCC and Bender Preschool use of the playground). We are excited about our redesigned inclusive playground, which will allow children of all abilities to play together. You can find the renderings of the playground here. The new features include:
  • A soft surface that is accessible to wheel chairs and walkers
  • A ramp to access the various play stations
  • A glider
  • Slides
  • Various interactive play pieces
Thank you for being our partner in bringing these facilities on line!
New Playground (Summer 2017)
Outdoor Pool Renderings (Fall 2017)
   
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