WASHINGTON — There is a battle over plans to turn a police station and fire house in Northwest D.C. into a larger, mixed-use condominium building. People who live near U Street say they have been left out of the process and fear the project would do the exact opposite of what the city promises.
The 1617 U Street Project is still in the initial stages, but residents say this is when they need to weigh in on the process. Right now, some District leaders want to rezone nearly two acres of public land at 16th and U streets Northwest that currently house a fire and police station.
But neighbors say this development stands to displace longtime residents.
Engine 9 and the 3rd District Police Station are 60 years old. So, is the police parking garage facing 16th Street. That is why Councilmember Brianne Nadeau is leading the charge to rezone the area, to allow for a "high density," mixed-use building, which could be up to 10 stories high.
The development would include the renovated police and fire stations, a public library, and 30% of the units would be affordable.
"Affordable for who? Not the people you displaced!" said long-time resident Yvonne Williams, who’s lived off U Street since the 1970s.
Williams and neighbor Chris Otten are part of a grass roots effort opposing the plan. Otten is a long time housing activist, known for his perceived controversial tactics blocking development projects. Otten also ran as a Green Party candidate against Nadeau for Ward 1 Councilmember. He was defeated by the incumbent in the general election, November 8, 2022.
“The people who are driving this plan haven’t told the community about it,” explained Chris Otten, “70% or even 50% of this building would be unaffordable, driving up the density and driving up the prices. If we need affordable housing, why don't we just build affordable housing."
However, some urban planning experts claim a recent study by UCLA counters the argument that market-rate housing drives up neighbors' rents.
But Nadeau said the public land makes it possible to include affordable housing in the developer’s project.
“When we build more affordable housing, we make it possible for more long-term residents to stay in our community. We make it possible for low-income residents to move into our community,” said Nadeau. “Right now as a police and fire station, it’s housing nobody.”
Nadeau said a racial impact study and public hearings will take place further along the process. Nadeau's office did share this set down report from the DC Office of Planning which includes an analysis through a "racial equity lens" (pg 12). However, residents want their voices heard before the proposed zoning changes take effect at the end of June.
The councilmember said the police and fire stations would have to relocate and find “swing space” nearby. But Otten said disrupting a police station during a crime wave is dangerous.