January 2007

D.C. Zoning Commission Approves GW/DCPS School Without Walls Project

The District of Columbia Zoning Commission unanimously approved the joint District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)/GW Planned Unit Development on Nov. 13. The commission’s approval sets in motion plans for the modernization and addition to the School Without Walls (SWW) and the construction of a new GW undergraduate residence hall on F Street.

“The commission’s decision is a significant milestone for the School Without Walls and GW, bringing much needed renovation to a public high school building that sorely needs it, while allowing the development of new on-campus housing for the University,” says President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. “GW’s partnership with the school and DCPS is truly a model for public-private partnerships in the District. Further, GW’s new residence hall will help us continue to meet on-campus housing requirements, as well as provide students with additional apartment-style housing options.”

The Zoning Commission hearing, held Oct. 30, drew a standing-room-only crowd of SWW parents, students, alumni, and administrators, as well as GW students and alumni, civic leaders, and Foggy Bottom neighbors, the vast majority of whom expressed their support for the joint project.

Under the agreement between DCPS and GW, the University will purchase the SWW back parking lot and additional development rights to build a new residence hall with an estimated 474 beds and 178 underground parking spaces. SWW will use the approximately $12 million generated from the transaction (in addition to $6 million already allocated by DCPS) to modernize the facilities, create additional space for classrooms, and provide the school with a new media center and outdoor space.

The agreement also expands the existing programmatic partnership, which includes facilities sharing, teaching collaboration, internships, educator training, and educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff of the school. Construction on both projects is expected to commence this year, and GW plans to house students in the new residence hall beginning in fall 2009.

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