French American International School Seeks To Raze Hayes Valley Building For Outdoor Schoolyard

French American International School Seeks To Raze Hayes Valley Building For Outdoor SchoolyardPhoto: Google Maps
Teresa Hammerl
Published on January 05, 2017

Plans to demolish the vacant former 'Jews for Jesus' building at 80-84 Page St. are becoming more definite, SocketSite reports.

While the parcel is zoned for development of up to 50 feet in height, documents filed with the city show that the French American International School wants to replace the building with a fenced outdoor yard for the students instead.

The school's plans note that the yard would primarily be used by students in 3rd through 12th grades from 8am-6pm weekdays—reducing its dependence on renting public spaces for student use. Some after school and weekend programs would also be a possibility.

Proposed site plan for 80-84 Page. | IMAGE: CA ARCHITECTS VIA SF PLANNING

When reached by email, Aaron Levine, the school's CFO and director of operations, said that the French American International School has been in Hayes Valley for almost 20 years and "space is always a challenge."

The school purchased the 84 Page St. property in December 2015 but hasn't developed a final plan for the site yet. The organization is exploring adding a turf field, which could be used for open play or organized events like soccer practices—rather than renting Rec & Park fields for their teams to play on.

However, "The planning for this project is still in the preliminary stage," Levine said.

This isn't the only development the French American International School is pushing through the planning process. The school has also submitted plans to construct a 320-foot-high secondary school building a block away at 98 Franklin St.