Brentwood Arts Center
A new Art Gallery with classroom space is coming to Brentwood. A 3,500 square foot space at the new Brentwood Arts Center in the midst of the Gateway Arts and Entertainment District will be renovated as part of a joint project involving the Gateway Community Development Corporation and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division of the M-NCPPC. Gateway will own and operate the building, and they will fund the renovation of individual studio space to be rented by artists. M-NCPPC will contribute funding toward the renovation of classrooms and an art gallery. The art gallery will feature exhibitions of work by regional artists and will also have a retail area for fine craft items. Classrooms will be used for art classes and children's summer art camps.

Interior spaces will include a central reception counter, a game room, an exercise room, anarts and craft room, a computer room, a multipurpose hall and high school size gymnasium with bleacher seating.

Typical programs that will be offered by the new community center addition consist of Kids’ Care, providing before and after school programming; holiday and summer camps; summer playground activities; Xtreme Teens and Xtreme Pre-teens programs; sports leagues; and a variety of classes and workshops year-round.

This unique new community center is certain to provide an enhanced educational and recreational experience for the Fort Washington Forest community. For information about the community center call Southern Area Operations Division at 301-203-6000, TTY 301-203-6030.

Glenarden Community Center/Theresa Banks Aquatics Center
This complex is closed for renovations and improvements, with a projected reopening date in late 2010. A wing of the current center will be demolished and a new, larger gymnasium will be added. The existing gym footprint will be redesigned to include spaces typically found today in a staffed community center. While the community center and aquatics center are closed, all classes will be relocated to other facilities. Please contact the center directly, or the Central Area Office at 301-218-6700 if you have any questions.

When the complex reopens, the community will have:

• New meeting rooms, multipurpose rooms, a fitness room, a game room, and an arts and crafts room;
• New handicapped (ADA) accessible bathrooms;
• New entrance, lobby, and a collegiate-sized gymnasium;
• New landscaping and accessories; and
• The pool will have new glazing systems.

Greater Gateway Port Towns Senior Center
Senior programs offered by M-NCPPC at the Cora B. Woods Center in Brentwood will be moving to a new home at 4009 Wallace Road in North Brentwood. This building was formerly the First Baptist Church and now is owned by the Town of North Brentwood, who uses the second floor for the Town's office and has leased the first floor to M-NCPPC for the senior center. Renovations are under way on the first floor to transform 6,000 square feet into a large meeting area that can be divided into two spaces, crafts room, restrooms, and storage. In addition, the senior programs will be able to use the gymnasium, fitness room, and classroom located next door in the North Brentwood Community Center. With more space available, program offerings will be expanded to appeal to a broader range of seniors in the area.

Green Branch Athletic Complex
Sports enthusiasts in the Bowie area and countywide will be excited to know that great progress has been made in the planning of the new sports complex to be located just south of the Baysox Stadium. The portion of this complex which is currently under design will include four championship-sized softball fields, four combination soccer / football fields, a central restroom / concession building, accessible play areas designed to serve multiple age groups, picnic pavilions, and plenty of parking. Landscaped rain gardens and a pedestrian trail that will weave through the western side of the complex will add interest and learning opportunities. Currently, barring any unforeseen delays, construction on this facility is projected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010. Updates will be forthcoming as project milestones are reached.

Gwendolyn Britt Senior Activities Center Opening in May
The Grand Opening celebration for the Gwendolyn Britt Senior Activities Center will be in May 2009 at 4009 Wallace Road, North Brentwood, Maryland. Senior programs offered by M-NCPPC at the Cora B. Woods Center in Brentwood are moving to this new location. The new senior activities center is named after Gwendolyn Britt, a state senator and civil rights and community activist who passed away on January 12, 2008.

The building is an adaptive re-use of the former First Baptist Church and is now owned by the Town of North Brentwood, who uses the second floor for the Town’s offices and leases the first floor to M-NCPPC for the senior activities center. The renovations are nearly complete and have transformed 6,000 square feet of first floor space into a large multipurpose area that can be divided into two spaces, computer room, kitchen, restrooms, and storage. In addition, the senior programs will be able to use the gymnasium, fitness room, and classroom located next door in the North Brentwood Community Center. With more space available at the Gwendolyn Britt Senior Activities Center, program offerings will be expanded to appeal to a broader range of seniors in the area. The Center will be open Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Hillcrest Heights Community Center
Hillcrest Heights Community Center is currently closed while it undergoes a renovation and expansion. The 16,000 square foot facility will receive a new 6,000 square foot addition, which will include a new multipurpose room and fitness room. Other interior improvements include a new computer room, a kitchen renovation, new furniture and finishes, and accessibility upgrades.

The community anxiously awaits the new and improved facility, which is scheduled to be completed by Spring/Summer 2010. For more information about the community center call Southern Area Operations Division at 301-203-6000, TTY 301-203-6030.

North Forestville Community Center
A new gym addition has been designed for the North Forestville Elementary School and construction is under way. This gymnasium will not only provide space for the physical education program at the school but will also serve the community by providing gym space for basketball and many other athletic/recreational programs. The project is projected to be completed in late 2009. For more information about the community center, call Central Area Operations at 301-218-6700, TTY 301-218-6768.

South Bowie Community Center
In a few weeks, when you drive down Mitchellville Road, turn onto Pittsfield Lane, and then swing into the first parking lot on your left, you will notice a familiar structure known as the South Bowie Community Center. But the familiarity stops there. On the exterior, the center has received a new roofing system and a fresh coat of paint, in addition to a new picnic shelter and exterior lighting. The interior has been upgraded, too. There is new paint and new flooring throughout the center including a sprung dance floor. A new family bathroom with shower, and upgrades to the existing kitchen and bathrooms are in place. A welcoming new reception area and a security system add a warm and secure feeling. The racquetball court and the gymnasium floor have been refinished, while a new scoreboard and basketball backboards in the gym will appeal to the competitive crowd. Just when you think the fun stops there, the center boasts a new conference room and a new computer lab. An electronic teen area complete with flat-screen TV and a Wii will be located outside the computer lab. In addition to all these upgrades, new equipment has been purchased for the fitness room and free weight area.

The doors to this wonderful new facility are scheduled to open April 6, 2009. For more information about the community center, call Central Area Operations at 301-218-6700, TTY 301-218-6768.

Southern Regional Tech/Rec Complex
On your mark, get set, go! South County residents are anxiously awaiting the groundbreaking of the new Southern Regional Tech/Rec Complex. The facility will be located on a 15-acre piece of property in the 7200 block of Bock Road in Fort Washington, Maryland. The project involves the design and construction of a 32,000 square foot facility consisting of two high school size gymnasiums with an elevated walking track, a fitness center, an aerobics area, a computer room, an environmental science learning room, a media room, a multipurpose room, meeting rooms, and an internet café. The building design is registered with the USGBC and is designated to meet a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating, which includes a green roof above the facility entrance. The groundbreaking is planned for early Fall 2009. For more information about the facility call Southern Area Operations Division at 301-203-6000, TTY 301-203-6030.