In their final session of 2004, The D.C. City Council approved legislation on Dec. 21 declaring the old Randall School in Southwest a surplus property. This decision allows the city to sell it to the Corcoran Museum for $6.2 million. For nearly 20 years, a portion of the property housed Randall Shelter, a former site for homeless men. Randall Shelter closed its doors on Nov. 3 in anticipation of the eventual sale to the Corcoran.
The approval of the full council came after the subcommittee on property management first voted the same way on December 10; subcommittee Chair Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) voted in favor of the measure while Adrian Fenty (D-Ward 4) voted against it.
The votes occurred amid several protests concerning Randall’s closing, including on two occasions when members of activist group Mayday DC sat on a 50-foot-high ledge of the John A. Wilson building.
A new shelter was opened to replace Randall at St. Elizabeth’s in Southeast, across the Anacostia River, and shuttle busses are being used to transport men back and forth.
The Corcoran Museum has plans to move its college of art onto the old Randall property in 2006.
