Langston Slater Surplus Declaration and Disposition Approval Act of 2025
This bill declares the District-owned Langston and Slater Schools property at 33-45 P Street, NW, surplus to public needs and authorizes the Mayor to dispose of it. The property, identified as Lot 0827 in Square 0615, is described as approximately 30,000 square feet and currently improved with two former elementary school buildings. The legislation is intended to facilitate redevelopment of the site through a land disposition and development agreement (LDDA) with a selected developer, Lebanon Village at Langston Slater MD LLC.
The bill contemplates a mixed-income residential project that includes both rental and for-sale housing. It requires at least 30% of the residential units to be affordable, and it incorporates District development requirements tied to Certified Business Enterprises and workforce participation. Specifically, the developer must contract with CBEs for at least 35% of the project’s contract dollar volume and provide at least 20% equity and 20% development participation to CBEs, while also entering into a First Source Agreement for job creation and local hiring obligations.
In terms of state-law impact, the bill operates under the District’s surplus property disposition authority and amends no general code provisions directly, but it authorizes a specific real estate transaction and sets binding conditions for the sale or lease. It allows a mixed disposition structure: a long-term ground lease for the rental portion and a fee simple private sale for the for-sale portion. The Mayor’s authority to dispose of the property expires three years after the act takes effect, and the LDDA must remain consistent with the substantive business terms transmitted to the Council unless the Council approves changes.
The general sentiment reflected in the available record is strongly supportive. The Council approved the bill on first reading by a 12-0 vote, suggesting broad agreement on moving the redevelopment forward. The findings section also frames the project as beneficial to both the District government and the public, emphasizing that the property is no longer needed for public purposes and that private development will provide substantial benefits.
There is little visible opposition in the provided materials, but the main points of potential contention are the usual ones for surplus land dispositions: whether the property should be retained for public use, whether the affordable housing share is sufficient, and whether the development terms adequately protect community and labor interests. The bill addresses these concerns by requiring affordability, CBE participation, and First Source hiring commitments, indicating that those issues were central to the negotiated disposition terms.
The bill declares the Langston and Slater Schools site surplus and authorizes its disposition under the District’s surplus property law, enabling redevelopment through a ground lease and fee simple sale structure. It affects the District’s real property disposition process, the specific parcel at 33-45 P Street, NW, and the parties to the transaction, especially the selected developer and its obligations under the LDDA, CBE requirements, and First Source hiring rules.
The available voting history suggests broad support, with a unanimous 12-0 first-reading vote. The bill’s findings and structure also reflect a generally favorable view of converting an underused public property into mixed-income housing with affordability, local business, and employment commitments. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no evidence of organized opposition in the record supplied.
The likely areas of contention are the standard ones for public land disposition: whether the former school property should be sold or leased for private development, whether the 30% affordable housing requirement is adequate, and whether the project’s CBE and hiring commitments are sufficiently strong. The bill appears designed to address these concerns by embedding affordability, local business participation, and First Source obligations into the transaction terms.