The University of the District of Columbia (UDC)'s community college may be closing its downtown campus and moving its approximately 2,500 students to the university's Van Ness campus.
The university's operations board voted Feb. 10 to recommend closing the campus, which opened in 2010, and move the community college program to Building 44 on the Van Ness campus.
The relocation of the students to the upper Northwest campus would cost approximately $11 million.
UDC would still be responsible for the $5.5 million annual lease of the 801 North Capitol St. building, which still has 17 years left on it. The university hopes to sublease that property.
The closure of the community college campus would require final authorization by the university's board of trustees, but the majority of those people on the operations committee who voted in favor of the closure also sit on the board of trustees.
UDC spokesman Michael Rogers said school officials are evaluating "a number of options."
"The cost of the lease at 801 North Capitol Street is a big annual expenditure and escalates over of the life of the lease," Rogers said. "In seeking ways to meet operating demands of the University all options are on the table."
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Rogers said the community college committee will discuss the recommendation Friday. The matter will go to the full board in April.
