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McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center Resolution of 2000
PR 13-792

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Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr.

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr. introduced the following resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation.

To encourage the Board of Education of the District of Columbia Public Schools and the Mayor to create and fund the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the "McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center Resolution of 2000".

Sec. 2. The Council finds that:

(a) Action Item No. 6 under the "Economic Resurgence of Washington, DC, Citizens Plan for Prosperity in the 21st Century" establishes a Washington, DC Technology Council to support attraction and expansion of technology-based business firms and jobs in the city.

(b) Action Item No. 26 under the "Economic Resurgence of Washington, DC, Citizens Plan for Prosperity in the 21st Century" calls for the development of North of Massachusetts Avenue ("NoMa") as a new mixed- use information technology, communications media, arts and entertainment, and housing district in the area from the new Washington Convention Center east to Union Station and north to New York Avenue. This action item creates special financial incentives for technology firms in NoMa by abating or reducing all city taxes.

(c) Action Item No. 29 under the "Economic Resurgence of Washington, DC, Citizens Plan for Prosperity in the 21st Century" calls for a Metro station at New York Avenue to spur development. This action item would create a public - private financing mechanism to build a new Metrorail station on the existing Red Line near New York Avenue and Florida Avenue NE, enabling a large area of currently vacant and under-utilized land and buildings to be developed for thousands of new jobs and housing opportunities. The New York Avenue Metrorail site will open in the year 2004. The private sector has agreed to a $25 million assessment to build the metrorail site. In addition, the District and Federal governments will each ante up $25 million to make up the balance of the projected $75 million cost.

(d) New tenants to the NoMa District include XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc., and Qwest Communications, Inc. who will soon open their new headquarters at Eckington Place, NE. The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Department has announced that its headquarters will be located in the New York/Florida Avenue corridor. Douglas Jemal's 350,000 square feet office complex for technology, located at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues, NE is nearly completed. Robert Johnson, CEO of Black Entertainment Television ("BET"), has announced that he will build two 75,000 square feet complexes to comprise BET Technology Park at W Street and Brentwood Road, NE. Enron Broadband Services, a subsidiary of energy giant Enron, is the most recent Fortune 100 company to hatch in NoMa. The company inked a 10-year deal to lease 60 Florida Avenue, NE from Douglas Development. MCI WorldCom last year leased a 162,000-square-feet warehouse on Fourth Street, NE for a switch station.

(e) The District of Columbia Technology Council along with the Mayor, members of the DC Council, the private sector, and local community associations are working diligently and aggressively to entice other technology based companies to relocate to the NoMa corridor.

(f) The missing link to all the outstanding development in the NoMa corridor is the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center and the youth of the District of Columbia. McKinley High School lies on a 22 acre tract of land that sets above the New York/Florida Avenue corridor -- overlooking the technology renaissance taking place in the District. This vacant and non-functioning property is perfectly situated to become the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center for the District of Columbia. This Technology Campus and Conference Center, and our youths' involvement, would serve well in advancing the mandates of Action Items Nos. 6, 26 and 29.

(g) Once open the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center would function as a modern day public school and vocational training center that is capable of producing students for entry level jobs in the technology industry. Further, because of location and natural synergies, it will have internships and on the job training.

(h) The McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center would provide technology, performing arts, hotel management and culinary curriculums for the students of the District of Columbia. It would also provide associate degrees in technology, and space for technology incubators.

(i) The McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center has been discussed with the principals of Black Entertainment Television ("BET") and XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc., of whom have expressed a commitment to this Campus and Conference Center concept and its presence in the technology district.

Sec. 3. The Council calls for the formation of the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center to be located on the redeveloped, 22 acre parcel of land, on which McKinley Technical High School is currently located, and whose focus will be among other things:

(a) Enable District of Columbia High School students to attend a top notch "school-to-career" technology education program;

(b) Provide District of Columbia High School students with an opportunity to receive an Associate of Arts degree from an accredited, local institution of higher education;

(c) Provide District of Columbia High School students with employment, internship and training opportunities with quality technology firms;

(d) Attract and retain faculty who may want to take advantage of unique opportunities to teach and work with private sector technology firms;

(e) Promote the location of technology firms to the NoMa district by making approximately 65,000 square feet of lease space in the McKinley building available to technology companies;

(f) Promote the location of technology firms to the NoMa district by making development rights for 80,000 square feet of space (or more) on the McKinley campus available to technology companies;

(g) Enhance the appeal and hasten the development of the NoMa technology corridor by helping to create critical mass through the creation of the McKinley Tech Campus;

(h) Hasten the housing and commercial redevelopment of the surrounding community;

(i) Promote the location of technology firms to the District of Columbia by assuring a supply of well-educated, industry-trained employees;

(j) Provide community residents with access to degree, technology training and other adult education programs offered by an accredited, local institution of higher education;

(k) Provide community residents with expanded employment opportunities with quality technology firms;

(l) Create a significant community cultural resource through the redevelopment of the McKinley Technical High School Auditorium;

(m) Create significant community recreational resource through the redevelopment of McKinley's athletic facilities and fields;

(n) Hasten the housing and commercial redevelopment of the surrounding community;

(o) Establish and house the Frederick Douglass School of Technology operated by the University of the District of Columbia.

Sec. 4. The Council further calls upon the Mayor of the District of Columbia to direct that part of the $3,000,000 reserve fluid committed to FY 2000 technology spending at the University of the District of Columbia be utilized to facilitate the creation of the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center which will create and house the Frederick Douglass School of Technology;

Sec. 5. Once established, the Council calls on the DC Board of Education, Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, and the Mayor to initiate a fund-raising effort encouraging the technology industry to support the McKinley Technology Campus and Conference Center.

Sec. 6. The Secretary to the Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution, upon its adoption, to the Office of the Mayor.

Sec. 7. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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