Intelsat Building Proposal by CM Matt Frumin (Connecticut Ave/Van Ness)

post reply Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

1 2 3 ... 11 12 13 ► Go

Go to page...

10/10/2023 20:39

Subject: Intelsat Building Proposal by CM Matt Frumin (Connecticut Ave/Van Ness)

quote

Anonymous

What do folks think of this idea? Read on for possible impact to MacArthur

-------------------------------------------

CM Matt Frumin: Seize the Moment to Purchase the Intelsat Building
From: Damiana, Christian (Council)
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:22:41 EDT
Neighbors,

I announced today my proposal to purchase the former Intelsat headquarters, located at 4000 Connecticut Avenue NW. My proposal is an indisputably ambitious idea; however, the site, located a block from a Metro stop, presents a unique opportunity for the city to acquire a massive property with a variety of potential civic uses. Purposes could include an early childhood education center, senior wellness programs, urban agriculture, a central food processing facility, and space for UDC or another university. To achieve this goal, the proposal suggests the possibility of relocating the high school on MacArthur Boulevard to the Intelsat site, offering a more accessible location proximate to public transportation.

Read my full commentary published in the DC Line, where I outlined my vision for the property and its myriad public uses. You can also scroll down to read the full text.

This is a rare opportunity for the District to acquire a massive property that can serve all Washingtonians. Join me in urging District leaders to seize the moment and capitalize on an extraordinary opportunity to purchase the Intelsat building, most recently home to the International Whittle Independent School.

Will you join me in calling on District leaders to consider pursuing this unique opportunity? Sign my petition.

Best,

Matt Frumin
Ward 3 Councilmember
---

A Unique Moment for an Extraordinary Opportunity

The former Intelsat headquarters, located at 4000 Connecticut Ave. NW, just one block from a Metrorail stop, offers a rare opportunity for the District to acquire a massive property that can serve all Washingtonians.

The 660,000-square-foot building, which most recently housed the international independent Whittle School, is currently on the market. It is sited on a lot with up to 45,000 square feet of developable land, not including the lovely park along Connecticut Avenue that should be preserved.

Significant portions of the building are turn-key and ready for myriad uses, especially educational programs for all ages. The site is one of the few of its size ripe for development in our city, and it would be a travesty not to seize upon this unique opportunity.

There are numerous exciting potential civic uses for the former Intelsat building, and many of them could exist harmoniously. It could host early childhood education: At least two providers, including some focused on serving Title I students, have expressed interest. It could house a senior wellness center; the city is looking for a site for one in Ward 3. It could become the home for new University of the District of Columbia offerings, such as a Master of Social Work program or a paramedic school, both of which the city hopes to make reality. With UDC located one block to the north, the site offers an excellent opportunity for the university to expand and strengthen its programming, but the site could also host programs for other universities.

The building’s atriums and giant green roofs offer the potential to become a global showcase of urban agriculture.Given the built-out kitchen, cold storage facilities and internal loading dock that exist there — not to mention the site’s location on a significant transit artery — the campus could contribute significantly to the food processing and storage capacity that the District hopes to create. Our city’s dynamic arts community could benefit from arts and performance spaces that are already built out. Housing could be placed in the existing building or on one of the developable lots. Others may yet offer different compelling ideas. In short, there are numerous imaginable opportunities, including a significant number already on the city’s priority list.

So why, you may ask, am I raising this now?

The District is about to move into the second phase of the MacArthur High School renovation in the Palisades neighborhood. The MacArthur launch has been an extraordinary success so far, but that very success highlights the challenges of accommodating a proposed program to serve 800 students at its current site. The school is in a difficult-to-reach location, tightly nestled in a residential community on the far western edge of the city with few amenities around it.

Before entering this next phase of renovation on MacArthur Boulevard, we should consider whether rather than expanding there, we should instead locate the high school on the Intelsat site. This location could better accommodate the school’s planned 800-student capacity as it includes spaces already built out as a state-of-the-art school and sits near a Metrorail station and numerous bus lines. Consider the possibility of the high school next to a university, on the Red Line, surrounded by amenities to serve students, on a campus potentially devoted to lifelong learning.

I recognize that this idea could seem impractical given where we are on MacArthur; at this moment, though, it is both ambitious and feasible. Eight years ago, I floated a related idea that now seems ripe for reconsideration.

In this same neighborhood sits The Lab School of Washington, an extraordinary independent educational institution delivering standout services to students with learning differences. The Lab School recently secured a lease extension for the DC government-owned Old Hardy site on Foxhall Road, where its Lower School is housed several blocks away from the main campus. At a Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing on Sept. 13, Lab’s head of school stated that the school would always consider any reasonable opportunity that would allow it to consolidate and own its own facilities.

Given this testimony, I recently discussed with Lab’s leadership the possibility of consolidating on the MacArthur site now owned by DC, and they indicated it is an idea worth exploring. If such a deal could be struck, I’ve been told that the sale price plus the avoided capital costs for the second phase of the MacArthur renovation could free up roughly $125 million that could go toward the purchase and renovation of the Intelsat building. This would provide DC an appealing location for its newest public high school largely using dollars already set aside for that purpose in Ward 3.

While Intelsat would be less convenient than MacArthur for some Palisades and Foxhall residents, it seems likely that Intelsat would be more convenient for many, if not most, MacArthur attendees. Palisades and Foxhall residents, meanwhile, would benefit by reclaiming access to Old Hardy, paving the way for a small public elementary school on that site. The sale of the main Lab School campus on Reservoir Road could also allow for consolidation of other independent schools in the area with benefits for the nearby communities.

To be sure, this idea involves a significant change from what has been a successful path in the MacArthur journey given the great work of the mayor, DC Public Schools, and Principal Harold McCray. However, this is a moment of extraordinary opportunity, and our communities and city leadership should seriously explore and consider the possibilities.

Regardless of whether we opt to house the new high school at the Intelsat site, let’s make it a priority to secure this property and leverage it to advance many of the District’s most compelling goals.

Please demonstrate your support for pursuing the potential of the Intelsat site by signing our petition encouraging District leaders to consider the opportunity at MattFruminWard3.com/Intelsat.

---
Christian Damiana he/him
Communications Director Office of Councilmember Matt Frumin
(202) 258-9532 cdamiana@dccouncil.gov
mattfruminward3.com