ACPS has acknowledged that community feedback has generally opposed putting affordable housing at a new school development.
In a recent joint Alexandria City Public Schools and City Council meeting, ACPS Director of Capital Programs Erika Gulick said that feedback from Alexandria residents indicated that locals were not comfortable with housing, including affordable housing, being co-located at some school developments.
The acknowledgement is the latest in the debate that was ignited almost exactly a year ago when feasibility study for George Mason Elementary School included an apartment complex. ACPS apologized for the inclusion, saying the complex wasn’t planned for that site, but co-location of housing and other non-school uses at ACPS facilities has repeatedly been stated as a priority for the City Council.
Designs for the new T.C. development are scheduled to go to the City Council early in 2022.
“The co-location goals are not only trying to make sure we have complimentary uses, but increasing use of the site outside of traditional school hours,” Mayor Justin Wilson said in the meeting. “To the extend that we could have public space used for other services. I would encourage us to continue looking at those kinds of opportunities.”
Gulick said much of the community’s feedback has been negative toward housing at the planned expansion of the school formerly known as T.C. Williams High School, but more accepting of other uses.
“We did some community engagement before end of calendar year and collected feedback,” said Gulick. “In general, the community generally opposed to affordable housing or housing on a school site. There’s a concern of ‘is it appropriate to use school land or co-locate these two things.’ But [there is] support for other colocation, like a pool or teen wellness center.”
Gulick said school programming remains the highest priority in plans to add new facilities to the Minnie Howard campus, with loss of athletic fields or open space being considered unacceptable, but that development that adds additional uses to the sites would require additional density approval from the city.
A few other school districts across the country have co-located school facilities and housing, and Alexandria Living Magazine has compiled them with a look at how they compare to ACPS plans.
Recent Stories
Providence Secures $1 Million to Fund Educational Programs — “Local fourth-grade students will be treated to special programming funded by military shipbuilding HII.” [Alexandria Living Magazine] It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy…
Schedule a walk-through of the luxury townhome community at Darden Towns in the heart of Del Ray.
With the City of Alexandria returning to regulating on-street retail and restaurant uses, including adding a price tag for the benefit, the City Council is also scheduled to review a…
It’s been a rough week for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and to top things off: someone hit a Metro work vehicle in the Braddock neighborhood this afternoon. The…
Looking for a more convenient way to work out?
On the Go Fitness Pro offers in home personal training. We bring the gym to you, so you can save time and skip the hassle of going to the gym. Plus, our trainers are certified and experienced, so you can be sure you’re getting the best possible workout.
We provide all the equipment needed for a great workout or we can use the equipment that you have.
Are you tired of going to the gym? It might be the crowds, the locker room, waiting on equipment or the time it takes to commute to the gym.
Having a personal trainer come to your home will keep you accountable, save you time and allow you to workout in the comfort of your own home.
Skip the hassle of the gym and try our in-home personal training service.
Our services are reasonably priced, convenient, effective and are risk free.
Think BIG! About the Future of Movement
Join the City of Alexandria and Arlington County’s Initiative to Rethink Energy at our first ever electric vehicle (EV) and sustainable technologies showcase! Get inspired by seeing a variety of electric cars, scooters, bikes, motorcycles, police cars, buses, trucks and
Between Home and the Front: Book Talk and Signing
Join the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum on Zoom or in person at the museum for a special book talk with the curators behind Between Home and the Front: Civil War Letters of the Walters Family. A book signing will be
