Arlington Public Schools & Arlington County to Collaborate in Considering New School on Wilson Boulevard Property

APS to retain Wilson property for possible new secondary school
Sets stage for new Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study (WRAPS) process

ARLINGTON, Va. – April 24, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Officials from Arlington Public Schools (APS) and Arlington County today announced that APS has decided to retain its Wilson Boulevard property in western Rosslyn for possible redevelopment as a new secondary school.

“Retaining the Wilson property will help APS address our critical shortage of seats for students in a timely manner” said School Board Chair Abby Raphael. “As we develop our 2015-24 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), we will explore options to construct a 1,300 seat secondary school on the site.” Raphael added, “This decision demonstrates the continued priority both boards place on using our limited public land to meet the school division’s future capital needs and to provide open space for the community.”
The “More Seats for More Students” Initiative

APS has experienced significant overcrowding for a number of years. Since 2006, APS enrollment has grown by more than 4,850 students, or 26%, reaching a current high of 23,717 students to date. School officials project that over the next decade, APS enrollment will surpass 30,000 students, a 63% increase since 2006.

In 2009, the School Board adopted the Progressive Planning Model (PPM) framework, a step-wise approach to developing additional capacity throughout the system. Since then, APS has been aggressive in maximizing the capacity of existing facilities and identifying creative solutions to respond to the ever-growing demand for space in schools through the APS “More Seats for More Students” capital improvement planning process. As part of its current CIP planning, APS will evaluate the Wilson location for a possible 1,300 seat, urban model secondary school with a large open space available to the community.

Information about the “More Seats for More Students” effort is available online at www.apsva.us/moreseats.
Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study (WRAPS)

The Wilson property is part of the Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study (WRAPS). In addition to the Wilson property, the WRAPS area includes:
Fire Station #10
Rosslyn Highlands Park
7-Eleven
1555 Wilson Blvd. office building
39-unit multifamily development known as Queens Court Apartments

Through WRAPS, the County, APS, developers and the community had planned to work on addressing community and redevelopment goals, including:
Achieving quality park, recreation and open spaces of at least 60,000 square feet;
Increasing affordable housing opportunities;
Replacing Fire Station #10;
Ensuring energy efficiency and sustainability; and
Achieving a mix of uses with appropriate heights and densities in the context of surrounding development.

The County Board will amend the charge to the WRAPS Working Group, to include a 1,300 seat secondary school within the planning area; the Board may also consider other changes as necessary.

“We are very excited to move forward on this planning process,” said Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette. “We look forward to working with the community, the private property owners and the schools to maximize the use of the public lands while contributing to the creation of a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.”

The WRAPS planning process has been on hold for many months. The decision to consider using the property for a potential future school sets the stage for a new WRAPS process. It will be conducted concurrently with the Rosslyn Sector Plan Update – Realize Rosslyn process. Analysis and recommendations from both studies will be coordinated to ensure that they are compatible.

To learn more, visit the WRAPS website.

Arlington Public Schools (APS) educates one of the nation’s most diverse and sophisticated student populations—23,000+ Pre-K through 12 students come from 115 nations from around the world and speak 94 different languages. APS operates more than 30 schools and programs. Academic standards are high, and students consistently score well above state and national averages on standardized tests, surpassing achievement of students in the state and nation.

Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation’s Capital. Slightly smaller than 26 square miles, it is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, and one of only a handful with the prized Aaa/AAA/AAA bond rating. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods and quality schools, and has received numerous awards for Smart Growth and transit-oriented development. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world — including the Pentagon — Arlington stands out as one of America’s preeminent places to live, visit and do business.

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