Yesterday, surrounded by students and neighbors, Councilmember Tommy Wells joined Mayor Adrian Fenty, Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization Executive Director Allen Lew, school and community leaders and parents to cut the ribbon on a nearly $2 million upgrade and renovation of the ground at J.O. Wilson Elementary School, 660 K Street, NE, to create outdoor teaching space, new age-appropriate playground spaces, multi-purpose fields, running tracks, and new security features including space to lock and secure bicycles and strollers.

“Just under two years ago, I was invited to a community meeting where neighborhood leaders were engaging with school and city leadership, with parents and teachers, and with neighbors around J.O. Wilson Elementary, to work toward improved school grounds that both the school and neighborhood could enjoy,” commented Councilmember Wells about the two-year community-driven planning process. Adding, “I was impressed. The group brought forward initiative, identified a problem, presented a vision for what could be done, and asked for a partnership to support and move that vision forward.”

The effort began with a need to install new fences and lighting to improve security, and then quickly moved to see the grounds for what they could become – a true community space that provides the school a top-of-the-line outdoor area, and creates the only green recreation space for the Near Northeast neighborhood. The community applied for and received technical assistance from the Urban Land Institute to aid in the designs of the new grounds and involved students by having them vote and select playground equipment and other elements of the renovation.

The community was led in particular by ANC Commissioner Anne Phelps, J.O. Wilson Elementary School Principal Cheryl Warley, and Friends of J.O. Wilson leaders Carol Wheeler and Matthew McCombs, along with countless other who volunteered hours of their time and helped bring this vision to reality.

“This renovation has transformed an underutilized, dangerous and poorly used space into an amazing resource for the school, and created a tremendous civic space for the entire community,” said Wells.

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