The university plans to construct a new building to house the McCourt School of Public Policy, but none of Frank McCourt Jr.’s (CAS ’75) $100 million donation can be used for that purpose.
Although no specific plans for a building were laid out when McCourt gave his record-breaking donation in September, Vice President for Advancement Bartley Moore said that the parties involved shared the belief that a new building, likely in downtown Washington, D.C., would be necessary. The school is currently located in Old North, which housed the Georgetown Public Policy Institute until it was incorporated into MSPP.
“[McCourt] and the university share the belief that the fullest vision for the McCourt School will require new facilities that provide ample room to grow,” Moore said. “Though this was not a condition of the founding gift, we share a commitment to put the school near the city center at some point during its first decade.”
All of McCourt’s gift will go toward developing the school through initiatives like student and faculty recruitment and research. The McCourt Fellows Program will help recruit promising students; furthermore, the Massive Data Institute and Center for Politics and Policy are being developed along with an executive education program and a doctorate in philosophy program.
“All of it is going to endow the school, invest in the school’s self-sustainability and … spur future growth,” MSPP Director of Communications Lauren Mullins said.
Plans for a building downtown or elsewhere will be developed over the next 10 years.
“Though we don’t currently have the money to finance the construction of a new building, down the road, we hope that our investment in the improvement and expansion of the MSPP will give us the resources to move into a new location,” Mullins said.
Although university spokeswoman Stacy Kerr could not give specifics about how the building would be funded, she suggested the possibility of a large gift with naming rights, similar to how the Rafik B. Hariri Building was built. Despite the current lack of funds, the university is already beginning to consider locations, Kerr said.
“Old North will remain the McCourt School’s home for the foreseeable future, and the school will continue to function comfortably in that location,” Kerr said. “However, we are currently evaluating location possibilities around the District.”
Moore added that the university was still unclear as to where it could create a new school, though possibilities include the southeast quadrant near Nationals Park and the Anacostia River.
When the university does pursue a building, it will work with master planning partner Forest City Washington and architectural firm Sasaki Associates, which has handled recent construction projects such as the design of the proposed Northeast Triangle Residence Hall.
“In the acreage acquisition process for this new MSPP location, Georgetown is committed to benefitting not only our own community but also Washington, D.C., at large,” Moore said. “Helping develop a parcel of land near the city center would do just that.”