DMPED: August 7, 2002 - Press Release

District Releases Request for Expressions of Interest for Historic Franklin School

(Washington, DC) The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development today released a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the renovation and reuse of the historic Franklin School. The Administration is preparing to dispose of the building through a competitive process and will use the responses to the RFEI to determine feasible market interest and to help determine a preferred use for the building.

The purpose of this RFEI is to gauge the market interest in redeveloping the site for cultural or higher educational uses. Development teams will be asked to describe their team, the proposed uses, and the potential public benefits to the District of Columbia.

Because several developers have already expressed an interest in redeveloping Franklin School into residential or office space, developers proposing those uses are not required to respond to the RFEI. Once the Administration can better quantify the full range of development interest in the site, it will develop and submit to the Council a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of the Franklin School.

The District is seeking uses that advance the goal of creating a vibrant, active downtown. Because of the inherent value of the site, the Administration is looking for proposals that will not require a direct subsidy from the District.

In preparation for the building's disposition, the District contracted several studies, including an architectural/historic analysis and an economic benefits analysis. The studies were released on July 10 and are available on the Office of Planning's website at www.planning.dc.gov. The Administration plans to submit a Request for Proposals to the Council in September.

The Franklin School is located at 13th and K Streets, NW on Franklin Square in the heart of downtown. The building was constructed in 1869 and is part of the District's heritage. It is a National Historic Landmark, was a flagship public school when it was first built, won several international design awards, and was the site of several experiments by Alexander Graham Bell.