Barton Hill Tennis Project

NOTICE: Join RA staff on Wednesday, September 6 to discuss the next steps in the Barton Hill Tennis Court renovation project. This is the second meeting held by RA staff to discuss the project with RA membership. The first meeting was held on March 22, 2023, you can watch the meeting here.

Barton Hill Tennis Project Overview

Barton Hill Tennis, built in 1985, is located at the intersection of Sunrise Valley Dr and Barton Hill Road. The facility is comprised of four, unlit tennis courts with a water fountain and a small parking lot. In 2011 and then in again in 2017, the courts were crack repaired, and color coated. During the 2021 playing season, several large cracks were identified in areas that were previously repaired. Crack repairs and color coatings normally occur on a 7-year cycle. Barton Hill was averaging 3 years which raised a concern over the structural integrity of the courts. A geotechnical study was performed in 2021 to evaluate the courts and found that like many Reston tennis courts, had been overlayed with asphalt several times during previous court refurbishments (2 layers totaling more than 30”). In addition, the courts were built on problem soils that have poor compaction. The new cracks were likely formed from a condition called reflective cracking. As expansion and contraction of the subgrade occur from the problem soils, these translate to the asphalt surface above it forming a crack. This crack then continues to reflect in the layers of asphalt above it. It creates a cycle of constant repairs as you repair cracks you had previously repaired in prior asphalt layers. As the cracks gather water during snow and rain melt, the issue is exacerbated by freeze expansion creating new cracks and further water infiltration.

To eliminate the reflective cracking condition, subgrade stabilization is required. A similar project was performed at Hook Road Tennis in 2021, where it too had reflective cracking issues. For that project, the court was renovated via a full depth reclamation process (FDR). FDR is a subgrade stabilization process where the existing asphalt is recycled by milling it several inches down, mixing the milled asphalt with cement, and then compacting it to create a stronger subbase. In addition to FDR, multiple layers of geotextile fabrics are used to further strengthen the subbase. The new court is then bult on top of this stabilized surface which results in a significantly improved subbase at a lower cost than removal and disposal into a landfill. In this process, the existing footprint is maintained, no ground soils are disturbed, and minimal byproduct is produced.

Interest in pickleball has exponentially grown nationally as well as within the RA membership. The current plan is to convert the eastern battery of courts into permanent pickleball courts with the remaining west battery with blended lines and temporary nets. This will provide permanent as well as hybrid use of the courts and provide flexibility of usage.

During the November 2021 RA board of directors meeting, the project was approved in the 2022 capital budget to include the court refurbishment as well as installation of court lighting and pickleball. During the November 2022 RA board meeting, the option of lights was removed following County Zoning Ordinance appeal failing. Due to the escalating costs of construction in the DC metro region, the project cost increased an additional $300k from initial estimates. This additional funding was allocated in the 2023 capital budget. The total approved budget on the project is $770k.

Site Overview

Anticipated Timeline of Project

Below is an example timeline (Hook Road) for a major tennis renovation. Days represent working days and excludes weekends and holidays. Procurement and pre-construction processes are anticipated to be significantly less moving forward as we have refined processes, lessons learned, and vetted and experienced contractors identified. Timing of project execution is also critical as many phases are weather dependent. Engineering and design approvals should occur in winter months with work occurring in early Spring. Timeline of construction is approximately five to six months. However, due to the supply chain disruptions from the pandemic, this timeline is subject to change. 

• DRB Approval

  • 35 Days

• Procurement

  • 165 Days

• Pre-Construction

  • 220 Days

• Demolition

  • 10 Days

• Court Construction

  • 77 Days

• Color Coating

  • 19 Days

• Pathways/Backfill/Grading

  • 10 Days

• Substantial Completion

  • 0 Days

• Project Close-Out (Post Reopening)

  • 14 Days