Capitol Hill’s dilapidated Old Naval Hospital is one step closer to being a community center after a selection committee recommended that the nonprofit Old Hospital Foundation develop the city-owned property.

Now used as a meeting place for the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission and various community groups, the 1864 building once housed Civil War soldiers and has long been slated for renovation. If chosen, the Old Hospital Foundation, a local group, would restore the interior and exterior of the building and eventually offer classes in areas such as computer literacy, music, art and parenting, according to a press release from the Office of Property Management. The carriage house would be made into a cafe.

Residents will be able to comment on the recommendation at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.

— Emily Yehle