Press Release For Immediate Release July 10, 2002 District Releases Studies Analyzing Potential Reuse of The Historic Franklin School (Washington, DC) The Office of Planning and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development today released two reports analyzing the potential reuse of the historic Franklin School. The first report analyzed the architectural and historic nature of the building and the second report analyzed the economic impact of the school's reuse on the District of Columbia. "These reports will help inform our discussions about the potential impacts of different uses of the former school building," said Andrew Altman, Director of the Office of Planning. "There is still much to be learned, such as the impact of the building's reuse on the surrounding neighborhood. That's why we're holding a public forum and want to hear from area residents." There are seven primary findings from the reports: The school has substantial existing property value and therefore does not need subsidies for redevelopment. The school is suitable for a variety of alternative reuse functions. Office and residential uses are likely to have significant economic returns to the District. Cultural use's secondary impacts, such as increased pedestrian activity, are difficult to quantify. Cultural use is likely to have little impact on the school's historic nature. Housing and hotel uses are likely to have significant impacts on the school's historic nature. Unique property offers a premium potential value for selected users, such as cultural or higher education use. District officials intend to have the building's reuse promote increased pedestrian activity around Franklin Square and K Street, especially in the evenings, in order to create a vibrant, living downtown. District officials are also interested in ensuring that the building's historic and civic nature is maintained. The District is in the process of determining a preferred reuse and disposition process for the Franklin School building. The two analyses are the first step in this process. District residents and development professionals are encouraged to share their comments on the reports with District officials. By the end of August, the Office of Planning will make a recommendation to the Office of the Mayor for the preferred use of the school. By the end of September, District officials intend to submit a Request for Proposals to the Council of the District of Columbia. The Franklin School is located at 925 13th Street, NW at the corner of 13th and K Streets. The school sits on 14,938 square feet of land and has 51,627 gross square feet. However, the architectural analysis found that the school's rentable square footage is much less, approximately 29,500 depending on the use, because of the building's grand hallways and staircases. The building Floor Area Ration is 3.46. The school has a long and diverse history. The school was originally used as classrooms for boys and girls from 1869 to 1928. As the downtown began developing as commercial office space, the administrative offices for District of Columbia Public Schools moved into the building in 1928 and stayed there until the building's closure in 1965. In 1991 the school's exterior was restored, although its interior has largely been unused for almost 40 years. The school's construction was completed in 1869 and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996. The District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board declared the exterior of the school historic in 1964 and is currently considering an application to declare the interior of the building historic. For additional information and copies of the reports, visit the Office of Planning's website at: planning.dc.gov. All comments should be sent to Art Rodgers, Special Assistant in the Office of Planning, by July 31, 2002.