overview:

The lots at 425 and 375 M Street SW have become two important parcels to the Southwest community. The lot at 425 M Street has been used to host a weekly farmers market and the city's only night flea market, twice a month, during the spring, summer, and early fall.

The lots have been scheduled for development but Southwest residents have put up a fight to try to reclaim to collectively own and steward the parcels. Below, you will find a timeline of what has transpired since the lots were up for sale in May 2022 and the history of the parcel going back to the early 2000s.

timeline of events since may 2022:

Here's what's been done so far:

- On May 10th: petition was launched and press release was sent out.

- May 16th: two at-large candidates are asked about petition (link).

- May 27th: petition featured in NBC Washington coverage.

- May 31st: interview on effort on 89.3FM (link).

- June 3rd: public rally held in west lot.

- Post-rally public release sent (link).

- June 6th: written up in Washington Informer (link).

- June 24th: Mayor was asked about petition on Politics Hour (link - near the 16 minute mark).

- June 29th: petition and signatures were delivered to Mayor with corresponding press release.

- July 1st: Southwester writes article on effort (link).

- July 11th: Chairman Mendelson is asked about effort (link).

- August 9th: Meeting with Mendelson to talk about petition (link).

- September 8th: meeting with Director of Real Estate, Sarosh Olpadwala (link to video).

- November 8th: Pamela McKinney talks about effort on WPFW 89.3 (link to segment, around the 28 minute mark)

- March 22, 2023: DC Department of Parks and Recreation has $3.5M to complete the design and begin construction of the first phase of Town Center Parks, which will include space for a "multipurpose area to host a farmers’ market, craft fair, holiday festival, and pop-up commerce" (link to full request for proposals).

- April 3, 2023: The Mayor attends Southwest Neighborhood Assembly monthly meeting and is asked about 4th & M. She responds by saying there is money to purchase one of the lots and that she's willing to meet with advocates (click to listen to full 4 minute clip).

- April 10th, 2023: Meeting with the Mayor has been confirmed for early May.

- April 19th, 2023: Press release regarding meeting with Mayor and Town Center Parks (link).

- May 4, 2023: Meeting with Mayor, Director of Office of Planning, Interim Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Interim and Deputy Directors of the Department of Housing and Community Development about 4th & M (link to presentation given). 

MARCH 2023

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation has $3.5M to complete the design of and begin construction for the first phase of "Town Center Parks," a plan that first originated in 2019 (you can view the full request for proposals here). The area directly to the east of the entrance to Westminster Presbyterian Church on 4th Street will, "provide café seating, terraced seating, an event stage, and public art display," while the area to the west of the entrance to Christ United Methodist Church will, "provide a multipurpose area to host a farmers’ market, craft fair, holiday festival, and pop-up commerce. The Eastern site shall also include café seating and terraced seating."

While it is good news that there will potentially be a new space for the farmer's market and other leisure activities, there is still the question of whether 598 units, in which 8% will be affordable, is the best use of the space, and if that land should be corporately-owned or owned and controlled by the community.

JUNE 2022

On Wednesday, June 29th, activists belonging to the groups SW Action, and Ward 3 Housing Justice, delivered a petition, containing nearly 1,000 signatures to the Mayor Muriel Bowser, calling on her to purchase two lots for sale in Southwest, D.C. and transfer ownership to the Douglass Community Land Trust. 

On June 24th, 2022, while on the Politics Hour radio show with Kojo Nnamdi, the Mayor was asked whether she would support the petition, to which she replied “I’ll certainly review it.” Later that day, a meeting request with the Mayor was made via her website. When the activists delivered the petition on the 29th, they reiterated their call for a meeting with the Mayor. The activists hope that the Mayor and other elected and government officials will act on this unique opportunity for residents to collectively own and steward land in the city.

MEdia:

• Washington Informer: SW D.C. Group Wants Bowser Admin To Buy Parcels For Community Land Trust

• NBC4 Washington: Southwest DC Neighborhood Concerned About Land Used For Farmers Market, Festivals

• Washington Post: White people have flocked back to city centers - and transformed them

Basic Facts on 4th & M

• • The project proposes two buildings, one on the west and east side of 4th St at M.

  • Because the plans call for more density than what was initially zoned, the project is considered a Planned Unit Development, which requires the developer to offer a "community benefit" in the development. The developer is planning to add a community center on the second floor of the east building as its community benefit.

  • SW Action has concerns about whether a community center is the best option for the community benefit, since there are already several spaces that already serve a similar purpose (churches, library, 2 other community centers).

  • Several members of the group filed a petition to the DC Court of Appeals in 2019, asking the court to return the plan to the zoning board to revisit concerns regarding affordable housing, the loss of the gathering space, and questioning its alignment with the Southwest Neighborhood Plan and Comprehensive Plan.

  • On January 31st, 2022, the Court of Appeals rejected the appeal and affirmed the approval of the development. You can read the Court's decision here.

  • By May of 2022, both parcels were put on the market.