Little Red School House
and Elisabeth Irwin High School

A Pre-K-12 Progressive Education

News Detail

LREI Completes Purchase of 15 Vandam Street

LREI

LREI is proud to announce that its campus will expand with the November 19, 2018 purchase of 15 Vandam Street.

Currently housed at 272 Sixth Avenue (Lower School/Middle School), 40 Charlton Street (High School), and 145 Thompson Street (Athletic Center), The Soho Playhouse at 15 Vandam Street becomes the newest addition to LREI's West Village campus. Fifteen Vandam Street is a 3-story building located in the SoHo neighborhood of lower Manhattan, situated on the north side of Vandam Street, between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street.

As expressed in a letter to the LREI community, Director Phil Kassen and Chair of LREI’s Board of Trustees Jim Harris wrote, "The school's Board of Trustees and administration have been involved in discussions and negotiations for this purchase for over a year. This building represents what may be the last site on the contiguous Charlton/Vandam block that will be available and accessible to the school...it is a terrific investment in our future."

"We could not pass on this (space)", Kassen stated. "This block has become increasingly valuable, and space increasingly scarce. We recognized this as an ideal opportunity to expand our campus.”

The building contains the popular off-Broadway theater The Soho Playhouse, along with a duplex apartment. LREI will renovate, manage, and maintain the duplex apartment as a rental property. SoHo Playhouse, a neighborhood institution, will continue to operate on the first floor.

This historic land was once Richmond Hill, a colonial mansion that was headquarters for General George Washington, and later home to Aaron Burr. 15 Vandam Street was designated as the Huron Club, a popular meeting house and night club for the Democratic Party.

“As we move towards and celebrate our centennial (2020-21 academic year) LREI will consider how best to use this space,” Kassen concluded. “We are eager to see what the future of our newest investment will bring to the LREI community.”

For more information, contact Director Phil Kassen at pkassen@lrei.org and Director of Communications Peter Martin at pmartin@lrei.org.

LREI is a 14-year progressive program and leader in progressive education since 1921. For more information, visit LREI.org and LREI.org/admissions.

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