Fenty, Reinoso Begin Reuse Plan for District School Buildings

Washington, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso today announced reuse plans for three District of Columbia school buildings: Bowen Elementary School, Douglass Senior High School and Hine Junior High School. Led by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education in conjunction with the Office of Property Management, the Office of Planning and the Office of the City Administrator, the plan takes into account public input from a series of community meetings in five wards across the city.

“Deputy Mayor Reinoso and his team have worked closely with our agency directors to come up with plans that meet community needs as well as best utilize the city-owned buildings,” said Mayor Fenty.

More than 400 participants attended 10 community meetings between March 20 and April 10 to discuss reuse options. The results of the plan encompass the opinions expressed by the respective communities and are in line with the reuse principles established at the beginning of the planning process. While the specific use of the Hine site has not yet been determined, the process will reflect the same overarching principles.  

Bowen ES – MPD 1D Substation
Bowen ES will be the relocation site for the MPD 1st District substation in response to the community’s desire to keep the substation within the Southwest community.  The substation will move from its current location so construction may begin on the MPD consolidated laboratory.
•    This reuse option will keep the MPD officers close to the neighborhoods they serve and continue to promote a community-policing model.
•    This plan also allows the District to maintain the Boys & Girls Club at Bowen, which was also very important to the community.
•    The MPD substation is scheduled to move into Bowen later this year.

Douglass SHS – KIPP Public Charter School
During the community engagement process, the community shared its desire to have a quality educational program housed at Douglass SHS.  Several parents from the surrounding neighborhoods attended both community meetings and expressed support for a public charter school going into Douglass.
•    KIPP is one of the District’s strongest public charter schools and serves many students east of the Anacostia River.
•    KIPP is a qualified respondent to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) released to all charter schools in March by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education.  
•    The purpose of this RFQ was to help ensure that the District’s inventory of excess public school space is used by qualified charter schools that are academically, fiscally, and managerially sound with a mission that contributes positively to the education of the residents of the District of Columbia.  
•    KIPP will open its doors at Douglass in Summer 2008.

Hine JHS – Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
The city is engaging in a community-driven process to determine the best use of the site. The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, along with the Office of Planning, will participate in a community meeting hosted by Councilmember Wells on April 30 to determine the priorities for moving forward with the site. The Capitol Hill community has already expressed tremendous support in developing the Hine site.