Harry Jaffe: Wealthy developer promises to fund Fenty foe
By: Harry Jaffe
Examiner Columnist
October 16, 2009
The city hall rumor mill was buzzing this week with word that a wealthy developer is so furious with Mayor Adrian Fenty that he's vowing to raise $1 million for anyone willing to run against the first-term chief executive.
"Hey," one lobbyist who heard about the offer said, "I don't even live in D.C., but for a million bucks I would move to the city and run against Fenty."
We are a year away from electing a mayor, and the silly season is upon us.
The purported offer to raise funds comes from R. Donahue Peebles. Born in D.C., Peebles now lives and works out of Coral Gables, Fla. He's done well buying and selling property, developing hotels and writing books about his real estate prowess. Forbes has included him in its list of top 10 wealthiest black Americans, after Oprah, Magic Johnson and Bob Johnson, another product of D.C.
I tried to reach Peebles down in Florida, but the receptionist said I would have to get on the list. Nevertheless, I am confident my sources are spot on about Peebles' threat, or promise, depending on where you stand. He is adept at raising funds for political candidates, including Barack Obama. And he has cause.
Peebles put together one of the three teams competing to develop the Stevens Elementary School, on a prime piece of property near Washington Circle in Foggy Bottom. Peebles offered up a hotel. The very active citizens groups responded well; they clearly opposed a proposal by a competing developer who wanted to build multifamily housing on the site. This, they believed, would be gobbled up by George Washington University students.
Fenty chose the Chicago-based Equity Residential to build housing. Locals responded with comments like "baffled" and "worst case scenario." Peebles apparently set out to get even.
I hear he started polling to see if they would consider voting for a businessman. Another source said he had begun assembling a campaign team.
For Peebles to run on his own might be a fool's errand. He has some local baggage. People might remember that he got his start as a Marion Barry appointee to the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals. And coming on the scene from Florida, he might easily be cast as a carpetbagger.
Perhaps that's why he decided to raise funds rather than votes. But who would take the million? And could they mount a serious challenge to Fenty?
Council Chairman Vincent Gray seems emboldened by the controversy over school Chancellor Michelle Rhee's firing of teachers two weeks ago. He delivered a fiery speech to angry teachers and students. But will he have the guts to run?
Signs have popped up along 16th Street to draft at-large council member Kwame Brown. His colleague, Michael Brown, looks in the mirror every morning and sees a mayor staring back.
We hear rumblings that Robert Bobb, former city administrator and school board president, hungers for public office in D.C.
For my money, a race beats a coronation any day.
E-mail Harry Jaffe at hjaffe@washingtonexaminer.com.
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