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:                November 25, 2020

 

 

                Please place the following measures on the agenda for the December 1, 2020 legislative meeting:

 

§  UDC PR Harris Exclusive Use Repeal Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2020

§  UDC PR Harris Exclusive Use Repeal Emergency Amendment Act of 2020

§  UDC PR Harris Exclusive Use Repeal Temporary Amendment Act of 2020

 

                In 2010, the Council approved the “University of the District of Columbia Expansion Act of 2010,” as part of D.C. Law 18-370, the “Fiscal Year 2011 Supplemental Budget Support Act of 2010.”  That act gave the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) the exclusive use of the closed Patricia R. Harris Educational Center School (PR Harris), which is located at 4600 Livingston Road, S.E., so that the university could expand its Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning (WDLL) Program.  Over the years UDC, along with several public charter schools, have used PR Harris.  However, because of its huge footprint and the need for an extensive modernization, UDC begun to look for other locations East of the River and at the same time the Mayor looked at disposing of the building to charter schools.  However, UDC wanted to retain the right to stay in the building, even if the District disposed of it, until it could find a new location.  Thus, in 2017, the Council approved the “UDC Patricia R. Harris Facility Exclusive Use Amendment Act of 2017,” as part of D.C. Law 22-33, the “Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Act of 2017,” which severed the university’s exclusive right to PR Harris if the Mayor disposed of the building.

 

                To date, UDC has vacated the building but he District has not disposed of PR Harris, so UDC maintains exclusive use of the facility.  Because of this, whenever an issue in the building arises, UDC is expected to resolve (and pay for) the issue.  Meanwhile, a lease has been pending for more than year with Building Pathways, the charter school incubator.

 

                These measures would repeal UDC’s exclusive use of PR Harris, regardless of whether the District has disposed of the facility.  Additionally, because UDC does have a food hub in PR Harris’ parking lot and would like one office in PR Harris to support that food hub, the measures retain UDC’s right to maintain its Ward 8 food hub and an office space in the building, even if the District disposes the facility.

 

                The draft measures are attached.  Please call me or Ms. Christina Setlow if you have any questions at (202) 724-4865. 

 

 

cc:           All Councilmembers

                Council Officers

 

 

Christina K. Setlow, Deputy Committee Director

Committee of the Whole, Chairman Phil Mendelson

Council of the District of Columbia

1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 410

Washington, DC 20004

Ph: (202) 724-4865

Fax: (202) 724-7139

www.chairmanmendelson.com

 

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