D.C. Moves Ahead to Rezone Section of U Street Corridor
The change would allow hundreds of more housing units for a 2-acre plot on the busy corridor.
By Nick Trombola July 15, 2024 1:33 pm
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A contentious rezoning proposal to allow more housing along a section of the busy U Street Corridor in Washington, D.C., is on the path to full approval.
The D.C. Zoning Commission last week unanimously advanced a plan to boost the density and height allowances for a 1.9 acre government-owned block enclosed by 16th, 17th, U and V streets NW, according to the Business Journal. The two municipal buildings currently occupying the land, 1617 U Street NW and 1620 V Street NW, are home to a D.C. fire and EMS station and Metropolitan Police’s headquarters for the third district.
The site is currently zoned as MU-4, or moderate-density mixed use. The proposal, which was filed by the D.C. Office of Planning on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, seeks to change its designation to MU-10, or medium- to high-density mixed use. The change would allow hundreds of more housing units to be built for a future development on the site.
The rezoning request now heads to the National Capital Planning Commission, which provides guidance for development proposals, for a 30-day review before landing back at the zoning commission for final approval. The D.C. mayor’s office first sketched its plan for the site back in 2022.
If the request is ultimately successful, the city would then seek a request for proposals to potentially redevelop the property with new multifamily units, retail and space for new civil services, per the Business Journal.
A spokesperson for the D.C. Zoning Commission declined to comment.
Yet not everyone living in the area is pleased with the idea of the rezoning plan, which has attracted significant local interest. Opponents of the proposal have argued that, despite the potential for more housing, the change could ultimately price out locals.
“Last night’s Zoning Commission meeting blatantly disregarded comprehensive urban planning principles in D.C.,” advocacy group Save DC Public Land argued in a statement late last week. “Despite overwhelming expert testimony proving that MU-10 rezoning drives land speculation, displaces small local businesses, and evicts lower- and moderate-income residents in favor of luxury housing and higher rents, the Zoning Commission willfully ignored these warnings. Their decision paves the way for a towering high-rise dominated by luxury units, skyrocketing rents, wealthier newcomers, and widespread vacancies.”
The chair and vice chair for Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B, a local governmental body which oversees parts of the U Street Corridor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The commission last year issued a resolution offering recommendations to the city to consider as it moves forward with the rezoning plan.
Nick Trombola can be reached at NTrombola@commercialobserver.com.
