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Our Plan for the Center
When the DC government signaled its intention in 2002 to make the Old Naval Hospital available for renovation and reuse, a diverse group of Capitol Hill neighbors formed the Old Naval Hospital Foundation to develop a plan that would give the historic site a first-rate restoration and dedicate it permanently to community use.
In August 2007, after a lengthy process of competitive bidding and review, the city accepted our plan, and based on the specific requests and ideas of hundreds of Hill residents, we will now transform the entire site into the Hill Center, a campus-like setting for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment and community life. If all goes as planned with leasing, permitting and construction, the Center will be open and operating at the beginning of 2010.
Educational Opportunities. Much like the phenomenally successful 92nd Street Y in New York and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education in Massachusetts, the Hill Center will offer a wide range of educational opportunities for people of all ages – classes in computer literacy, languages, literacy, ESL, GED, drawing and painting, music, parenting, creative writing, nutrition, cooking and much more. Some of the courses will be offered in partnership with neighborhood organizations such as the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and the Capitol Hill Computer Corner.
Meeting and Office Space. The Center’s rooms will also be available for meetings, workshops, lectures, recitals, after-school tutoring, art exhibits, receptions and the many other functions and events that make a neighborhood a community. The building’s top floor will provide needed office space for community organizations, while the separate carriage house becomes a family-friendly café surrounded by lovely gardens. The café will also provide the needed catering services for various events in the main building and provide an important income stream to help make the Center financially sustainable.
Community Support. As the Hill Center plan developed, it became abundantly clear that community demand for the Center’s adult and children’s education programs, meeting and lecture space, office space and all the rest will easily keep the whole facility bustling. Of course, we continue to seek your ideas for Hill Center courses and programs. Please fill out our online survey. You can also call foundation president Nicky Cymrot at 202-544-1845 or email OldNavalHospital.org@verizon.net.
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