"We had hoped for a shuttle to pick up people that are right here to get them over to other locations and they promised us that at the beginning, but I don't think there's any hope at all."
Lynn Ringenberg said that on Wednesday, September 30, at a farewell reception she organized in the Rumsey Center's meeting room. It was the pool's last day. Her group of regular senior water aerobics users numbers about 100, according to Capitol Hill Corner. A few lap swimmers came in that morning for final laps. The DC Department of Parks and Recreation closed the Dr. William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center at 635 North Carolina Avenue SE on Thursday, October 1, 2026, to demolish and rebuild it.
The pool closing is the obvious loss. The quieter effect lands on the plaza outside, where weekend vendors have set up beside the building for years. Once the construction fence goes up, that activity moves closer to the Eastern Market hall. Most of what opened on Capitol Hill this year had already landed on the blocks facing the market. For the next two years or so, the Saturday and Sunday footprint around 7th and North Carolina gets smaller and busier.
Who moves where once the fence goes up
Market Manager Barry Margeson laid out the plan at the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meeting on September 30. The meeting was held in North Hall and chaired by Chuck Burger. The weekend vendors will be moved, not cancelled, and the rest comes from a preliminary construction logistics plan HillRag described after a September 22 community meeting.
| What | Where it goes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend vendors on the Rumsey plaza | Eastern Market's North Plaza | Market manager's stated plan |
| Current North Plaza occupants | Inside North Hall | Market manager's stated plan |
| Alley beside Eastern Market | Stays open to vendors, fenced near the existing wall | Preliminary plan |
| Sidewalk and bike lane on North Carolina Avenue | Shifted into the parking lane | Preliminary, pending DDOT approval |
| Capital Bikeshare station | Stays, moves to the end of the parking area | Preliminary plan |
| Contractor deliveries | Enter from North Carolina Avenue, unload on site, leave | Preliminary plan |
The fence won't go up right away. The project team said the building has to be emptied, the pool drained, equipment removed and utilities cut off, and a raze permit issued before demolition can start. They estimated four to six weeks for the move-out and draining. Demolition itself is expected to take four to five months once it begins. As of the September 22 meeting, the logistics plan was still waiting on DDOT public-space approval. The contractor expected six crew parking spaces on site. Compost drop-off arrangements hadn't been settled. So this weekend's market may look much like last weekend's. The shift comes when the fence does.
The hall itself is already in flux
North Hall is set to take in the North Plaza occupants, and the South Hall has its own gap. Glasgow's Southern Maryland Seafood closed in July. Charlie Glasgow opened it in 1936, and it passed through a series of his sons before ending with Richard Glasgow. The business went up for sale in 2024, but no new seafood vendor was found. The market is managed by the Department of General Services. In July, a Request for Proposals was expected "in coming weeks" to find a tenant compatible with the other South Hall vendors and committed to fresh foods.
The September 30 advisory committee agenda listed a vendor agreement extension and a plan to schedule a tenant and management meeting on the vendor agreement, and none of its items named a new South Hall tenant. Put together, the building is absorbing the plaza's displaced occupants while one of its oldest stalls sits empty and its vendor agreements are being reworked.
The blocks facing the market filled in first
The 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue blocks around the market had the most activity this year, well before anyone was talking about the Rumsey fence.
- Acqua al 2, 212 7th St SE, had reopened and was taking reservations by February 19.
- Little Engine Chicken, 250 7th St SE, rotisserie chicken and wings, was open by late February.
- Maru San, 325 7th St SE, a 25-seat counter serving Peruvian handrolls and Nikkei dishes, opened in the same stretch.
- Bumblebirds took over the former Good Stuff Eatery at 303 Pennsylvania Ave SE. Its official opening was March 16.
- Boulangerie Saint Georges, 303 7th St SE, a French bakery with bread, pastries, sandwiches, coffee and a dog-friendly patio. The Capitol Hill BID announced it as open in mid-April.
- Jersey Mike's opened August 12 at 221 Pennsylvania Ave SE, a little west of the main cluster.
- The Bit, a 32-seat cocktail bar in the basement of Barrel at 613 Pennsylvania Ave SE, opened September 10 with martini service.
The bakery has already become a meeting spot. Councilmember Charles Allen held Neighborhood Office Hours at Boulangerie Saint Georges, across from Eastern Market, on Friday morning, October 2. A few blocks east, Mott's Market at 233 12th St SE reopened as a grocery and café in August, with a grand-reopening event on August 11.
Barracks Row's announced openings are still pending
Eighth Street had a different year. CIVIC. on Eighth opened at 501 8th St SE by early February, serving coffee and pastries with cocktails to follow. Most of the corridor's other announcements are still on the way:
- Taki Taki, 713 8th St SE. Its sign read "Coming This Fall" in June. The sign gave no opening date. The restaurant appeared on the September 30 alcohol board agenda for a license endorsement change.
- Federalist Pig, 527 8th St SE, in the former Joey's space. The owner had hoped to open by Labor Day 2026. The Barracks Row directory still lists it as coming soon.
- Nash & Smashed, 531 8th St SE, with a December 2026 opening forecast in a company press release.
The 700 block has been recovering since the evening of Thursday, June 11. That night, a fire that started at 723 8th St SE, The Ugly Mug's address, spread to neighboring buildings. Sixteen units and 100 firefighters responded. Barracks Row Main Street listed 725 8th St SE as among the most heavily affected buildings. That building is home to Cask & Barrel Wine & Spirit and Jackson Hewitt. Assessments were still ongoing at Howl to the Chief at 719. Rose's Luxury and Meil Wellness appeared to have avoided significant damage. In that July notice, the organization said information on recovery efforts and ways to support the affected businesses would be shared as it became available.
Closer to the market, South Block has signed for 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE and plans to open in early 2027. That's one more opening on the market's side of the neighborhood.
October, on the smaller footprint
This month's calendar runs through the market blocks.
- Sunday, October 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Book Sales in the Park at 701 Pennsylvania Ave SE.
- Saturday, October 24. Eastern Market Main Street's Haunted Hill scarecrow competition launches for the weekend, with judging the week before Halloween and $500 in gift cards for each category winner.
- Saturday, October 24, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Hill Family Biking's Halloween Ride, starting from 701 Pennsylvania Ave SE.
- Friday, October 30, 4 to 6 p.m. Hill-O-Ween at Eastern Market. Organizers say more details are coming.
Eastern Market Main Street has The Holly Days on the calendar for November and December, with details still to come.
What comes back on North Carolina Avenue
The Department of General Services lists the rebuild as a $44.5 million design-build project, with iStudios as architect and WKM/Hess as general contractor. The design includes an eight-lane lap pool from 3.5 to 12 feet deep, a separate leisure pool from 3.5 to 5 feet deep, and a sauna. The second floor is planned for a senior center and terrace, a fitness center, community rooms and a pool observation deck. Ringenberg said the water aerobics group pushed for changes after the first design, which she said "was totally for the lap swimmers," and got room for water aerobics. She is still upset that there's nothing for the littlest kids.
The timeline is an estimate. The DGS project page lists an end date of early 2028, though the same page still shows the project's status as planning and design. Capitol Hill Corner reported after the September 22 meeting that the work is expected to take two years. The finished site is designed with an expanded plaza, better sidewalks and more vendor space than the plaza the weekend vendors are leaving.
If you own near the market and are thinking about timing a sale or a renovation around two years of construction on North Carolina Avenue, Catrina Jackson can help you decide when it makes sense to go to market. Let's Connect.
