Alexandria City Council To Consider Catholic U Satellite Campus

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A special use permit for a satellite campus of Catholic University of America (CUA) is going through the approval process in Alexandria. On Tuesday, the Planning Commission recommended the proposal, and the City Council public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12.

CUA is a national university of the Catholic Church and is located in northeast Washington, DC. Enrollment includes 3,279 undergraduate students and 2,492 graduate students. According to the special use permit application, the Alexandria campus would provide educational opportunities to adult students 25 and older in Alexandria and other communities.

The satellite campus would be located on the second floor of 2050 Ballenger Avenue in the Carlyle area. The building includes a below-grade parking garage. The third floor is occupied by Catholic Charities, which owns the building, and The Carlyle Club is on the ground floor. The site is minutes from the Eisenhower Avenue Metro with bus stops nearby.

The private school would occupy 18,563 square feet of space and accommodate 40 students during the day and up to 166 students on evenings during weekdays. The campus would have two full-time employees on site as well as up to 13 professors. Greater attendance could be expected with occasional events.

The space would be renovated to provide six classrooms for 15 to 30 students each, a computer laboratory, ancillary breakout rooms, and office space for faculty and staff. There are no plans for laboratory, research or library facilities. Proposed hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday and weekends by appointment only.

Specific programming has not been finalized, but the space could be used by a variety of the university's 12 schools. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia must approve plans for educational offerings at the location. CUA is seeking permission to offer graduate degrees in general management and engineering management, two undergraduate degrees (bachelor's in individualized studies and associate degree in paralegal studies) and workforce preparation classes in areas like computer security, financial planning, and project management. CUA is also considering other educational offerings due to the location's proximity to federal and local agencies as well as nonprofits.

City staff recommended approval of the special use permit.

"The proposal regarding the Catholic University satellite campus would diversify the mix of uses located in the area and provide an important educational and institutional anchor for the Carlyle area," reads a staff report. "Students can be expected to provide a boost to area restaurants and commercial uses as well as greater street activation."