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By Damon Scott, City Desk ABQ
After months of negotiations, the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA) has finalized a three-year lease agreement with the city to expand into the former North Fourth Art Center. The city-owned space, located at 4904 4th St. NW, has been shuttered since January.
A $1,000-a-month lease had the support of Mayor Tim Keller and was recently approved by the City Council. The North Fourth Art Center had previously leased from the city for 20 years.
Officials said this week that the 15-year-old ASLA, a tuition-free public charter school, would include public arts programming at the site after renovations are done. Its main campus is located nearby at 225 Griegos Rd. NW. The ASLA serves about 165 students from kindergarten through early adulthood who are deaf, hard of hearing or hearing.
“The academy is an incredible resource for our state that deserves the space and opportunity to grow,” Keller said in a statement. “This inclusive environment of creativity and innovation will empower students and educators, and the surrounding community.”
ASLA’s Executive Director Rafe Martinez said the new venture allows the school to integrate more arts-related subjects into its curriculum.
“We look forward to connecting our students, individuals with disabilities, and the greater community in this beautiful space,” Martinez said in a statement.
Officials said the space will feature classrooms and state-of-the-art facilities for visual and performing arts, in addition to a small theater.
For more information on the ASLA, click here.