- News article, “D.C. Does Bad Real Estate Deals” published in the District Dig, by Jeffrey Anderson, on March 17, 2016, https://districtdig.com/2016/03/17/d-c-does-bad-real-estate-deals-but-why/, “Independent appraisals show the proposed sale [of 965 Florida Avenue], at $400,000, to be more than $5 million below real property value.”
- News article, “A Reimagining in Washington Divides the Neighbors” published in the New York Times, by Eugene Meyer, on June 23, 2015, https://archive.ph/dedZE, City taxpayers are funding all upfront costs at the McMillan Park land deal consisting of at least “$78 million in predevelopment costs, including fees to lawyers to obtain zoning and other approvals, and for site preparation, preservation and amenities.”
- News series, “Deals For Developers”, produced by Julie Patel and Patrick Madden for WAMU 88.5, updated on May 13, 2013, https://apps.npr.org/deals-for-developers-wamu/, “Million-Dollar Properties, $1 Deals: Parcels of city land – often valued at millions of dollars – have been awarded to politically connected developers, some for pennies on the dollar. Since 2008, D.C. lawmakers have approved 20 of these land deals, at a loss of more than $200 million in city assets.”
- Press Alert, “The Legacy of $1 Public Land Deals May Continue in the District of Columbia”, DC for Reasonable Development, December 15, 2022, http://www.dcfeedback.com/fit2print/dc/3135, “Councilmember Anita Bonds: ‘I really think that doing the dispositions on these surplus properties we really need to slow down enough’ pointing to the fact that there aren’t many public parcels left to giveaway and that there isn’t a comprehensive plan for our public land. ‘You can’t buy a Snickers bar for a $1’ said Trayon White, Ward 8 Councilmember. Councilmember and 2022 Mayoral candidate, Robert White said, ‘We need to do a lot better’ and said he’s working on reforming the public property surplus legislation.”
- Editorial, “DC Wharf Brings Up Familiar Problems” published in the Georgetown Voice by the Editorial Board on October 27, 2017, https://georgetownvoice.com/2017/10/27/dc-wharf-brings-up-familiar-problems/, “These two themes—the undervaluation of property and political connectedness of developers—are consistently seen in the District’s handling of contracts for development projects. The property for these projects is often exchanged with developers at prices drastically under the market-rate, at times on the order of tens of dollars to millions of dollars as in the case of the Wharf property, and the companies awarded contracts by the District regularly donate hefty sums of money to public officials. … In the view of this editorial board, the trend around this country of using public money to fund private investments is dangerous, and city governments and their citizens should be extremely wary of such projects.”
The DC Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) has published the portfolio of land deals (swindles) here. https://octo.quickbase.com/db/bgk8b4c4n
Frustratingly, despite our city’s affordable housing crisis (especially the need for housing units helping DC’s low-income families) city officials continue to signal the prioritization of building stadiums and enticing international water spas into the District versus building housing that’s truly affordable in any substantial volume.
Many DC residents are tired of the status quo giving up public assets, amenities, land and air rights to private developers and are demanding that our public land be used for the public good not for corporate greed.
Yet, most recently 1617 U Street — 1.88 acres of public property consisting of emergency first responders — is being threatened with privatization to build lots of luxury housing only to get a small slice of alleged “affordable housing.”
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