Courtney Mabeus, The Examiner
2007-07-16 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

A review panel assembled by the District of Columbia’s Office of Property Management has announced the tentative choice of The Hill Center, a project pitched by the nonprofit Old Hospital Foundation, to lead a $6 million redevelopment of the dilapidated Old Naval Hospital at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.

The Hill Center would offer educational opportunities for children and adults in computer literacy, languages, music, drawing and painting, parenting, writing and cooking and will offer meeting space, the Property Management Office announced. It also would renovate the interior and exterior of the building, which has been used for little other than community meetings in the past decade. A carriage house at the site would be turned into what the agency called a “family-friendly” cafe.

The agency has scheduled a public meeting on the announcement at the hospital at 7 p.m. July 19. Agency Director Lars Etzkorn will make a final decision based on response to the meeting. The hospital was used to treat wounded naval officers during the Civil War.

The development project has been long in coming and has not gone without controversy. Last month, some community members complained of being left out of the process after years of previous involvement under former administrations. Etzkorn has said the review panel was asked to sign confidentiality agreements to avoid “behind-the-scenes” lobbying.

At least five other uses were considered for the building, including a bed and breakfast and a hostel, according to a source close to the panel.

cmabeus@dcexaminer.com