Developers, charter schools interested in vacant D.C. schools - Washington Business Journal:

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More than 150 people crowded into a meeting Jan. 9 to hear detail s on 11 former D.C. school buildings that city wants to put to new use in partnershiop withprivate developers. In the crows were representatives from a bevyof developers, including , , and . The meetingf also attracted charter schools looking fornew space, includinvg some that asked for room in empt schools last fall. The schools, some of whichb were closed last year as Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schoolsx Chancellor Michelle Rhee restructured theschookl system, are scattered across the city and rangew from plots of land just under 1 acre to more than 5 with buildings up to 131,0000 square feet.
Officials from the officre of the deputy mayorr for economic development asked developers to submit creative ideasafor re-use of the schools and told them they could bid on more than one propertyu or bid with multiple teams on the same With the difficulty in financing new interest has waned in biddinb for some D.C. projects, such as the Park Morton housingg development. But Corey Lee, the city’s projecgt manager, said only one deposit of $50,009 — smaller than usual — is requires for an unlimited number of Lee also said the city will consider the difficultlending environment, which he calledd “extremely unique, to say the least,” when makin g selections.
One of the city’s frequent requests, asking developers to buildx below-market-rate housing, is not listed in the solicitation. Fenty’x plan to develop the properties still facessmultiple hurdles. Although he solicited interest in the buildingzs last fall fromcharter schools, as requirexd by law, none has yet receivexd space, and charter school advocate Friendss of Choice in Urban Schoolsa is arguing that the mayor is eschewing his duty to consider chartere for former school buildings. Leaders from a numbefr of charter schools, including Capital City Publifc Charter School and Washington Yu Ying Public a new Chinese languageimmersion school, attended the Members of the D.C.
Council are also unhappyh with the prospect of selling off old CouncilmanTommy Thomas, D-Ward 5, whoswe district has lost more schools than any other ward under submitted legislation that would tighten the proceszs of selling or leasing city property. The vacanf school solicitation “highlights the importance of establishing a rigorous process for determiningwhether District-owned properties are no longer needecd for public purposes,” Thomas said in a statement.
a new bill by Councilman Marion D-Ward 8, calls for the State Board of Educatiobn — not the deputy mayor’s officre — to control vacant schoolsz and establish a process for giving charter schools the first opportunithto bid. The mayor’ds office says it offered the buildingsx to charter schools first and that charterxs are still free to partnetwith developers. Councilman Jack D-Ward 2, backed the mayor in trying to return life to theemptyy buildings. Ward 2 is home to one of the most valuablde and discussed properties onthe list, Stevens Elementary School. “uI think the process is working fine,” Evans said.
“I don’g agree with Council member Barry or Thomas as to why they woulx want to slow thesething down.” His preference for Stevens, on 21st Street NW, would be a use that activates the neighborhood outsided of 9-to-5 on weekdays. "Puttingf corporate offices in any of these buildings is not somethint I would besupportive of," Evanz said. "Residential, hotel, retail, any combination is really important, particularly in thesd downtown areas.” He however, that there may be enough sentiment on the councikl against selling the schools to disrupt thesolicitation “It’s going to be a challengse on where the votes are,” Evans said.
Bids for the schoolsx are due Feb. 27.