COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

 

TO:                       Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council

               

FROM:              Phil Mendelson, Chairman

                                                               

DATE:                July 3, 2019

 

 

Please place that the following measure on the agenda for the July 9, 2019 Additional Legislative Meeting:

 

• PR 23-405, “Proposed Contract between UDC and the Old Congress Heights School Redevelopment Company, LLC Approval Resolution of 2019

 

                The purpose of this resolution is to approve CA 23-181, a 15-year sublease between the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and the Old Congress Heights School Redevelopment Company, LLC (Company) for property located at 3100 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, S.E.  Under the proposed sublease, UDC will pay the Company a total of $2.082 million in rent and $919,545 in operating costs for the first year, with amounts increasing every year thereafter.  Specifically, the rent will escalate by 2.75% each year except for years five and 10.  During those years, the rent will only increase by three dollars.  Additionally, the operating costs are expected to be $736,000 annually.  Further, under the proposed sublease, the University will have two options to purchase the property – one at the end of the sixth year of the sublease and one at the end of the end of the initial term.  If UDC chooses not to purchase the property, there are two five-year option extensions available to the University.

 

                If approved, UDC will be subleasing approximately 71,800 square feet and using that space to consolidate programs that were previously housed at P.R. Harris, Shadd and the United Medical Center.  Similar to UDC’s Community College programs at Bertie Backus in Ward 5, this sublease would allow the University to concentrate its resources in one area as opposed to trying to maintain sites at multiple locations.  This, in turn, enables UDC to focus its resources on its students and supporting their needs.  The University has received support from ANC 8C with regard to the proposed sublease, and the University’s Board of Trustees approved the sublease on June 4, 2019.