Matt Frumin: 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.
Matt Frumin represents Ward 3 on the DC Council.
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The DC Line welcomes commentaries representing various viewpoints on local issues of concern, but the opinions expressed do not represent those of The DC Line. Submissions of up to 850 words may be sent to editor Chris Kain at chriskain@thedcline.org.
I agree we should take advantage of this opportunity.
pinko
I strongly support the recommendation that our city embrace this once-in-a decade opportunity.
I support Matt’s excellent plan!
I definitely support exploring this recommendation and the opportunities it presents.
I am an international expert on government property management and a recent DC resident. In these capacities I strongly oppose this acquisition because the initiative ignores the fact that annual costs of operating, maintaining, and repairing this building can be expected to be quite high, given building’s design. It would be irresponsible for city government to engage in the acquisition without careful examination of expected future annual costs of running this building. In well managed cities, it has been a common good practice to make decisions on property investment based on both capital and operating expenses . I am surprised that such basics are not considered in this initiative.
You make a good point. This is not a new building. What’s the cost of maintaining all those panes of glass? Where would the sporting events be held? It would be a shame to lose this park that fronts Connecticut Ave. Study this carefully before proceeding.