Truxton Circle in FLUX?

Responding to the Office of Property Management's (OPM) request for proposals concerning recently closed public schools, a coalition named FLUX, - comprised of members Washington Project for the Arts (WPA), the Warehouse Theater & Gallery and Artomatic - has submitted their own pitch to convert JF Cooke Elementary (located 30 P Street NW) into a community-oriented arts space.
The proposal - which was drafted by Kim Ward, Executive Director of the WPA, Adam Griffiths, Membership Director of the WPA, and Paul Ruppert, co-founder of the Warehouse - lays out the group's plans for transforming the 43,500-square foot, 3-story educational facility. The primary modifications would consist converting the second floor and former library into artist studio space and gallery, respectively. Other modifications would involve the kitchen, theater and HVAC System – all of which would amount to a total cost of roughly $400,000.

Proposal co-author Griffiths told DCMud what the Truxton Circle community stands to gain from the addition of a large-scale arts center to their neighborhood:

FLUX would act not only as a local arts destination, but as a regional destination. Theatre productions, gallery shows, art events, and studio tours would be open to the community. The extended outdoor space also allows us to host outdoor sculpture exhibitions, weekend art markets and festivals—all benefits for the community that would be implemented by the FLUX center...we plan to collaborate with a strong community arts partner to implement an arts education component for residents of the immediate community and the District.

The members of the FLUX coalition will be making a return appearance before their local ANC board next month and hope to do more community outreach on the matter in the coming weeks.

The OPM will respond to all proposals by the 29th. Clarke Interiors has already committed to undertaking the project should plans for the center be approved and FLUX projects the renovations to take no more than six months. “Artists have an excellent knack for reusing spaces in creative ways,” said Griffiths. The proposal can viewed in full at the Bloomingdale blog.

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