Help Brainstorm About Navy Yard School Design Tomorrow

Navy Yard families can weigh in tomorrow on renovations to a long-closed elementary school.

A Van Ness Elementary School “design slam” will be held at the school Wednesday to discuss the community’s vision.

“The goal of the design slam is to listen to your ideas in order to develop a design that celebrates the best characteristics of the Van Ness community,” a notice says about the event hosted by D.C. Public Schools, the Van Ness Parent Group and Quinn Evans Architects.

After years of community organizing, Van Ness will reopen this fall, as Hill Now previously reported. The school was closed in 2006 after the demolition of the Arthur Capper/Carrollsburg houses and was used as DCPS office space, as Greater Greater Education reported.

DCPS decided in Feb. 2011 to reopen the school, after evaluating expected residential construction and the capacity of nearby Amidon-Bowen, Brent and Tyler elementary schools. Boundaries for the school include Navy Yard, Near Southeast and part of Southwest.

One set of renovations is expected to be complete by the start of the 2015-2016 school year. A second phase of work will be done in time for the 2016-2017 year.

The brainstorming session will be held at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the school auditorium (1150 5th St. SE). Free childcare and food will be provided.

Photo via Capitol Riverfront BID