Demanding an end to the ceding of government-owned property to private developers, about 100 demonstrators rallied outside the Wilson Building on Tuesday before briefly disrupting a D.C. Council meeting.
The protesters chanted “Public property not for sale!” before leaving the council chambers, most voluntarily. Prior to the council meeting, during a rally on Pennsylvania Avenue, they called for more transparency and scrutiny when public facilities are up for bid.
Many wore stickers that read “Publicproperty for public use, not private profit.”
“We are here to represent as a united front that we will no longer tolerate backroom deals,” said Victor Vandell, a Ward 7 resident and former council candidate.
As the District moves to rebuild, repair or shutter branch libraries, school buildings and other government facilities, it is increasingly looking to partner with private firms to include public projects in their mixed-use developments.
But Parisa Norouzi, co-director of Empower D.C., said the government’s focus should be to “find new public uses for public property, not just to dispose of public property.” That could include new homeless shelters or affordable housing units, demonstrators said.
Despite protesters’ calls, the council took no action Tuesday to rescind its earlier decision to turn a West End firehouse and library over to a Georgetown developer, which would rebuild the facilities as part of a mixed-use project. Activists roundly panned the deal with EastBanc, which they said was negotiated and approved in secret.
Council Member Kwame Brown, chair of the economic development committee, scheduled a hearing for Monday on the matter of private redevelopment of public property.
“Generally, we should take a look at it,” Brown said. “We’ll address these issues in the next 60 days.”
