Contact: Bill Rice (202) 437-7787
(Washington, DC)–The DC Office of Property Management (OPM) today announced it will consider comments on the recommendation that the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital be the new tenant to restore and reuse the historic Old Naval Hospital (ONH) on Capitol Hill. OPM is responding to the July 19 resolution of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B endorsing the Hill Center as the new tenant and asking OPM to defer a final decision for 30 days.
Comments will be accepted until 5 pm, August 24, 2007, to Bill Rice, 441 4th Street, NW, Suite 1100S, Washington, DC 20001-2714. Please contact Mr. Rice at (202) 724-4400, to arrange to review the Hill Center proposal.
The Hill Center, a five-year-old 501(c)(3) organization, plans to restore the interior and exterior of the building and grounds and offer a wide range of educational and lifelong learning opportunities for local youth and adults, including classes in computer literacy, languages, music, drawing and painting, parenting, creative writing and cooking and nutrition as well as space for lectures, recitals, art shows and other community events. The Hill Center was recommended by the public-private panel convened by OPM to evaluate all proposals.
Built in 1864 to serve Civil War forces, the site was a Naval Hospital until 1911. Subsequently, it offered lodging for those pressing pension claims in Washington. Now largely vacant, it is a District historic landmark, just east of the United States Capitol in the heart of Capitol Hill.