The District has the power of eminent domain. The Intelsat buildings are owned by a NY based developer. The land that the buildings sit on is owned by the federal government and is master leased by that same developer. The developer tried to reposition the property as high end office about 8 years ago but was unsuccessful, which is why they pivoted and leased 85 to 90% of the buildings to Whittle. Whittle defaulted on its lease and the NY developer is in the process of evicting them (that may be done). In order to take property by eminent domain, the District would need to use it for a public purpose (e.g., educational use). The current tax assessment on the property is $90M for the buildings and the developer's ground lease interest in the land. The real value is probably much less since the only modernized portions of the building have been converted to school/dormitory use and the remaining buildings are circa 1982 office which no one would rent. It would be a huge court fight though, because the District would have to prove that while it was willing to accept the value at $90M for taxes, it isn't willing to pay the same value in condemnation.

Anonymous wrote:DC could move to condemn the current landlord's ground lessee interest in the property and get the property at a great value given that the property's true market value could be demonstrated to be extremely low.

Can you elaborate?

DC could move to condemn the current landlord's ground lessee interest in the property and get the property at a great value given that the property's true market value could be demonstrated to be extremely low.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love a DCPS high school at the Intelsat building as it's on the metro and a much easier commute than the new MacArthur high school.

Wow, that would have been so much better than MacArthur.

Whether or not it would/wouldn't be better than MacArthur, Ward 3 is going to need more schools soon. It's a plausible idea, as are some others further North that have been thrown out here.

Unfortunately I suspect DCPS will do nothing, as they did for so long before. It's up to council to move, as the ANCs recognize.

Anonymous wrote:I would love a DCPS high school at the Intelsat building as it's on the metro and a much easier commute than the new MacArthur high school.

Wow, that would have been so much better than MacArthur.

I would love a DCPS high school at the Intelsat building as it's on the metro and a much easier commute than the new MacArthur high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting discussion at the Ward 3 EdNet meeting tonight. Both Frumin and Goulet said they are in favor of buying the IntelSat building, although Frumin talked at length about how it might be part of a bigger deal where it gets traded to UDC.

They also both spoke in favor of acquiring the River School at 4880 MacArthur Boulevard. River is moving to Van Ness. Frumin spoke at detail about what he would like to see, which is the Lab School moving into the old River School campus and freeing up Old Hardy, which could be built out as an elementary instead of the new Foxhall Elementary.

We (except maybe a few hard-core FCCAs) would all prefer that LAB move to River and free up Old Hardy for Foxhall. The question is whether it’s realistic. First, as Frumin acknowledged, River’s move is likely to be delayed by legal action by the NIMBYs in AU Park. Second, LAB has such a sweetheart deal at Old Hardy that it’s hard to imagine how they could be encouraged to move to the much less desirable location that is River. So for now it’s all a bit fanciful.

There is a 0.0 percent chance that Lab will lift a finger to help DCPS. They got their shady gift from Bowser and are not gonna let that go.

UDC moving to the Intelsat building makes a whole lot of sense, though. Then the horrific underuse of the land the campus sits on can be converted to housing and schools.

Anonymous wrote:Interesting discussion at the Ward 3 EdNet meeting tonight. Both Frumin and Goulet said they are in favor of buying the IntelSat building, although Frumin talked at length about how it might be part of a bigger deal where it gets traded to UDC.

They also both spoke in favor of acquiring the River School at 4880 MacArthur Boulevard. River is moving to Van Ness. Frumin spoke at detail about what he would like to see, which is the Lab School moving into the old River School campus and freeing up Old Hardy, which could be built out as an elementary instead of the new Foxhall Elementary.

We (except maybe a few hard-core FCCAs) would all prefer that LAB move to River and free up Old Hardy for Foxhall. The question is whether it’s realistic. First, as Frumin acknowledged, River’s move is likely to be delayed by legal action by the NIMBYs in AU Park. Second, LAB has such a sweetheart deal at Old Hardy that it’s hard to imagine how they could be encouraged to move to the much less desirable location that is River. So for now it’s all a bit fanciful.

Interesting discussion at the Ward 3 EdNet meeting tonight. Both Frumin and Goulet said they are in favor of buying the IntelSat building, although Frumin talked at length about how it might be part of a bigger deal where it gets traded to UDC.

They also both spoke in favor of acquiring the River School at 4880 MacArthur Boulevard. River is moving to Van Ness. Frumin spoke at detail about what he would like to see, which is the Lab School moving into the old River School campus and freeing up Old Hardy, which could be built out as an elementary instead of the new Foxhall Elementary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how many OOB kids attend Ward 3 schools? Not every kid can go to school in Ward 3. DCPS needs to stop all OOB kids, stop feeder rights for OOB kids and create some centrally located text in magnet middle/high schools in downtown/

Thousands of kids who live in Ward 3 go to schools in other wards. It's a citywide school system.

The problem is really more that DCPS is a feeder system, and the fed schools need to accommodate the feeder schools. Neither Deal nor JR is big enough for its feeder schools.

Not thousands. Only for charter or Walls.

Lafayette is in Ward 4, almost all of its 860 students live in Ward 3. Hardy is in Ward 2. Between those two, Walls and charters, yes, thousands.

Ellington too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how many OOB kids attend Ward 3 schools? Not every kid can go to school in Ward 3. DCPS needs to stop all OOB kids, stop feeder rights for OOB kids and create some centrally located text in magnet middle/high schools in downtown/

Thousands of kids who live in Ward 3 go to schools in other wards. It's a citywide school system.

The problem is really more that DCPS is a feeder system, and the fed schools need to accommodate the feeder schools. Neither Deal nor JR is big enough for its feeder schools.

Not thousands. Only for charter or Walls.

Lafayette is in Ward 4, almost all of its 860 students live in Ward 3. Hardy is in Ward 2. Between those two, Walls and charters, yes, thousands.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how many OOB kids attend Ward 3 schools? Not every kid can go to school in Ward 3. DCPS needs to stop all OOB kids, stop feeder rights for OOB kids and create some centrally located text in magnet middle/high schools in downtown/

Thousands of kids who live in Ward 3 go to schools in other wards. It's a citywide school system.

The problem is really more that DCPS is a feeder system, and the fed schools need to accommodate the feeder schools. Neither Deal nor JR is big enough for its feeder schools.

Not thousands. Only for charter or Walls.

Anonymous wrote:how many OOB kids attend Ward 3 schools? Not every kid can go to school in Ward 3. DCPS needs to stop all OOB kids, stop feeder rights for OOB kids and create some centrally located text in magnet middle/high schools in downtown/

Thousands of kids who live in Ward 3 go to schools in other wards. It's a citywide school system.

The problem is really more that DCPS is a feeder system, and the fed schools need to accommodate the feeder schools. Neither Deal nor JR is big enough for its feeder schools.

There is no way that the Intelsat campus is getting torn down. That historic designation really screwed up the property because the buildings are too economically inefficient operating-cost wise for any for-profit entity to occupy unless the current landlord and its lender just flush their entire investment and economic rent expectations are completely re-set. Even then, given the enormous vacancy rate for office space in downtown---(just crossed a historic high of 20%)---even almost offering the space for free wouldn't necessarily get you a tenant. Repurposing it as a test-in middle school for all Wards except 2 and 3 would actually be a decent play.

Anonymous wrote:how many OOB kids attend Ward 3 schools? Not every kid can go to school in Ward 3. DCPS needs to stop all OOB kids, stop feeder rights for OOB kids and create some centrally located text in magnet middle/high schools in downtown/

+1 ward 3 should be for families who can afford ward 3