Planning Rationale
Facilities not owned by the Board of Education are occasionally leased to provide additional capacity to respond to various needs such as overcrowding relief or offering a specific program such as Pre-K. Leasing is often considered when a school does not have room on site to expand or when the need is temporary. Facilities considered for lease can range from existing non-CPS schools to commercial buildings and can result in a range of renovations in preparation for use by CPS.
Lease facilities may offer a quicker or more cost effective solution to new construction depending on the type of facility that is identified. Real Estate should initiate communication for potential lease sites and coordinate site visits or other access requests. Investigations and testing should also be coordinated with property owners or management.
There are numerous factors that should be considered when evaluating the feasibility of a lease site. Zoning and building code compliance needs an associated schedule impact should be identified initially by the planning/ design manager and subsequently confirmed during design by the architect. Key items for consideration include:
- Zoning requirements for applicable use
- Landscape Ordinance
- Parking
- Loading or pick-up and drop-off area
- Dedicated student access/entrance
- Construction conformance to codes for educational use
- Appropriate building separation, change of use, and what the original building’s use was when the lease facility is not a standalone building
- Accessibility