BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC | The city is seeking proposals to develop a Civic Center site — with a preference for 7,000 square feet of space for a pre-K center.
The classes at 137 Centre St. could potentially add 72 full-day pre-K seats in Lower Manhattan, which largely missed out on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pre-K expansion last year because of a dearth of kindergarten spaces.
It would likely take a few years to develop 137 Centre, but Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina told Downtown Express last year that pre-K seats will be added Downtown this September at Tweed, the temporary home of Peck Slip School, as well as other Lower Manhattan schools. She was not more specific but the new Peck Slip building seems to be a likely location.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation announced its request for proposals, or R.F.P., for 137 Centre St. in a press release last week.
In the R.F.P., the city says it would prefer a proposal that had space dedicated to a universal pre-K facility. Using School Construction Authority requirements, the 7, 275 sq. ft. of space could be divided into four classrooms, around 900 sq. ft. each, a 375 sq. ft. resource room, a 1,200 sq. ft. multi-purpose room, a 500 sq. ft. pantry, and 1,600 sq. ft. of lobby, storage, custodial and administration space.
It further states that the facilities should not be higher than the third floor, with ground floor space preferred.
Pre-K has been a priority for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration and a concern for Downtown school advocates.
The nine-story municipal office building at 137 Centre St., which houses sanitation as well as other departments, is 45,000 sq. ft. Included in the R.F.P. is the over 70,000 sq. ft. of air rights owned by Downtown Community Television Center, which are behind the building and above the nonprofit’s firehouse at 87 Lafayette St. There is a total of around 125,000 sq. ft. for as-of-right development.
“This is a win-win-win for the city, the neighborhood and for one of the city’s premier community resources, D.C.T.V.,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer in the press release.
Brewer said her office worked with E.D.C. to include a preference for “pre-K school seats in any proposal and affordable housing in residential proposals. Those components will enhance the Downtown community.”
The sale of the nonprofit’s air rights “will fund an endowment that should ensure D.C.T.V.’s survival for decades to come,” she said.
Councilmember Margaret Chin concurred, saying, “This R.F.P. will go a long way toward helping the Downtown Community Television Center — an outstanding local nonprofit —raise crucial funds and secure its long term financial health.
“I’m also very pleased that E.D.C. has included a preference for pre-K school seats in this R.F.P.”
