BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — George Washington University has filed plans to decommission the Charles E. Smith Center pool and replace it with a new double-height practice facility for its men’s and women’s basketball teams.
The 5,000-seat Smith Center was constructed in the mid-1970s and renovated in 2011. It is the primary athletic facility for the majority of GWU’s intercollegiate athletic programs — so the court is shared between basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and other school events such as concerts and career fairs. As part of the project, which is expected to begin in October 2024 and end by August 2025, the Smith Center’s natatorium will be filled in with aquatic athletic programs moving to off-campus facilities per the application.
A hearing before the D.C. Zoning Commission on the practice court project has not yet been scheduled.
