By Rachel Claytor

There is a fight taking place on the streets of Sursum Corda, and it’s not over drugs or cash.  Rather, the residents of Sursum are fighting for the rights to the neighborhood they call home.  The Sursum Corda projects were built in 1969, and were one of the nation’s first subsidized housing complexes.  The rows of townhouses quickly became home to many of DC’s lower class black citizens.  Folks like Beverly Estes reminisce about the days of weekend dances, parades, and picnics.  “Everyone used to know everybody’s business, but we all took care of each other.”  

      The six-acre strip of land comprising the Sursum neighborhood runs along New York Avenue-nestled between the Capitol Building and the historical Union Station-still boasts the feel of a tight-knit community.  Local youngsters divide their afternoons between the three playgrounds within the neighborhood and porches are the popular spot for afternoon gossip between close neighbors and family members.  Few outsiders venture into the neighborhood, and those who do, are greeted with a weary eye.

      Lately there have been a lot more outsiders passing through the area, and the residents of Sursum have been casting even more suspicious glances.  A wave of attention has been cast on the neighborhood of Sursum Corda surrounding the clash over land rights that is occurring between the city of Washington, private developers, and the residents of Sursum Corda.  It’s a David and Goliath fight of sorts.  The 170 townhouses comprising Sursum Corda that were bought by the neighborhood cooperative for a grand total of 10 dollars in 1992 lie on a piece of land now worth upwards of fifty million dollars. Private developers, like KSI and the MGM Group, have identified this area as a goldmine for the potential construction of office buildings and luxury condos.  The city of Washington D.C. isn’t oblivious to the potential rewards of developing the area either.       

      ‘Sursum Corda’ translates into “Lift up your hearts” in Latin.   But after a slew of slum landlords and mismanagement and the arrival of the drug market, the residents of Sursum haven’t had many reasons to be light-hearted.  It’s a neighborhood of conflicting images.  On the same playground many Sursum children spend their afternoons, drug deals are a regular occurrence.  To many families, Sursum is a place called home, but to others around the city, the Sursum Corda projects are known as one of the more dangerous areas of the District, where more than one third of the residents live below the poverty line. 

      The 2004 brutal murder of Princess Hansen, a seventh grade witness to a drug deal gone bad,  brought a wave of attention to the less than desirable living situation occurring in the Sursum Corda projects.  A special inquiry by the District Housing Authority in January of 2005, led to city’s announcement of foreclosure of the Sursum projects, due to failed health inspections of the buildings.  Every resident received an eviction notice citing years of absent or delinquent rent payments.  Mayor Anthony Williams moved to add Sursum Corda to the neighborhoods included in the New Community Initiative.         

      Labeled the Northwest One District, neighborhoods like Temple Courts and North Capitol Street Apartments, are undergoing revitalization and renewal.  In an attempt by the city to clean up violent, poverty-stricken neighborhoods around D.C., the New Community Initiative would replace existing housing projects with new subsidized townhouses, along with new high rise apartment buildings.  The goal was to create a mixed income community.

      The difference between Sursum Corda and other neighborhoods included in the Northwest One District is that Sursum residents actually own their property. The Sursum Board of Representatives synchronized a partnership between the residents of Sursum and KSI, one of the region’s largest residential developers.  The intention was to save the neighborhood of Sursum Corda by using KSI funding to buy out the city’s right to foreclosure, and in essence, circumvent the development of Northwest One District around New York Avenue.  To counteract the city’s attempts at foreclosure, KSI paid all of the residents back-rent.  Another component of the deal between KSI and Sursum residents was KSI’s promise to make building repairs, as well as hire an around-the-clock security force to patrol the neighborhood.  Sursum resident, Marquis Harrington, summed it up as, “KSI came in with this special security force and the streets got cleaned up a little bit.  Things were looking up for awhile.”

      KSI Services, Inc specializes in the planning and development of urban multifamily housing and “focuses on urban revitalization with a special emphasis on transit-oriented and mixed-use development.”  Their website boasts the “the principles have remained true to their core strength, to visualize the best possible use for available land.”   The original deal between KSI, the MGM Group- a group of former Redskin players- and the Sursum board of representatives was an eighty thousand dollar payout to each of the 167 families living in Sursum.  In exchange, KSI would begin demolishing the existing Sursum town homes, and replace them with 500 luxury condos and apartments.  The residents of Sursum could either use their payout towards a mortgage on one of those new apartments, or take the money and scatter.   

      Eighty thousand dollars was a lot more money than the folks of Sursum were used to seeing, and the deal with KSI seemed sweet at first.  “First appearances, yes, it seems like a great deal.” Community liaison for Councilmember Tommy Wells, Naomi Mitchell reveals,  “KSI went into Sursum flashing cash and parading football celebrities from their partner firm, MGM.  What they forget to tell the people of Sursum was that if they took the cash, that would make them ineligible for the government benefits most of them depend on.”  Ms. Allene, a long time resident of the 100 block of New York Avenue, echoes Mitchell’s claims.  “I’m stuck.  If I take the money, I lose my welfare checks. But if I don’t take the money, there’s no way I’ll be able to afford to stay in Sursum.  Either way I’ll have to leave”.  The average family living in Sursum makes a median income of about ten thousand dollars, and relies on public welfare programs to survive.  The new condos that KSI plans on building run upwards of four hundred thousand dollars.  It would be nearly impossible for the residents of Sursum who accepted the eighty thousand dollar figure to even make one down payment on a newly revitalized home in the community. 
 

      Nearly two years after the initial partnership was forged, the relationship between Sursum residents, their elected board of representatives, and KSI has become strained.

The deal between KSI and Sursum Corda is becoming less and less attractive.  David Chestnut, President of the Sursum board, maintains that the residents of Sursum are still in support of KSI over the city’s plans for development.  However, many residents feel like they are not being truthfully represented and are being intimidated and forced into complying with the board and KSI’s plans.  The discrepancies between the Sursum board of representatives and the actual families of Sursum aren’t lost on the younger generations.  When asked what she thought about the deal with KSI, fifteen year old Octavia smirked and shook her head.  “I don’t trust any of it.  They get mad when my aunt asks questions at the meetings and they try to intimidate us with big words and big threats.  Others share Octavia’s sentiments.  Many residents have endured harassment, threatening letters, and car dents and scratches, after voicing concerns at KSI-Sursum board meetings. Nonetheless, KSI Representative Sara Nichols maintains, “KSI is continuing to work with the residents of Sursum Corda to determine the best possible outcome for all.”    

      No plans with KSI have been finalized, and many member of the Sursum community are beginning to agree with the city and Mayor Fenty that the deal with KSI is not in their most beneficial option.  The idea of partnering up with the city under the New Communities Initiative is becoming more and more appealing.  “I think people are starting to wisen up and recognize that a payout from KSI isn’t the way to keep their neighborhood,” says Mitchell.  As a part of the New Communities Initiative, the two hundred townhouses making up Sursum Corda would be replaced by a combination of new low-income housing, middle-income housing, and market rate apartments.  It would be a mixture of townhouses and high rises, and a combination of income levels.  Sursum residents fear that the fewer number of low income housing replacing their old homes will leave some neighbors out in the cold.  Marc Fisher, who has done extensive research on the mayor’s plan and the neighborhood of Sursum as a columnist for the Washington Post, describes it as the city’s way of “weeding out the bad apples, and getting rid of the trouble makers.  The New Community Initiative gives the families of Sursum that want to live in a clean, peaceful community a chance to see that happen.” In essence, let the children who want to continue to play on their playgrounds stay, and those who would rather be using the spot for drug exchanges leave.

       Overall, the Northwest One District would be comprised of 1,720 units; 520 for low-income families, 600 for middle-income families, and 600 to be sold at market rate.  The project would cost the city $558 million.  The residents of Sursum like the idea of maintaining their community with the prospect of benefiting from a mixed income surrounding.  However, many fear the city’s use of eminent domain to force them out without any rewards.  “What’s keeping the city from just kicking us out on the streets? What’s holding them back?” Harrington questions.  Mitchell refutes a possibility of the city using such force.  “People living in Sursum are entitled to stay there.  This isn’t about kicking people out to make room for high rises.  This is about improving communities and improving the city.” 

      The situation at Sursum is at a tipping point.  The city has switched hands in leadership these past few months, with the newly sworn in Mayor Fenty.  Chestnut sees this as a positive sign for the residents of Sursum.  However, Fenty has not denied the possibility of using eminent domain to force the citizens of Sursum out.  Ultimately, the decisions regarding Sursum Corda and the rest of Northwest One District fall into the hands of the Deputy Mayor.  Under the Williams administration, Deputy Mayor Stanley Jackson has said that stage one of construction will begin this spring.  However, the newly appointed Deputy Mayor Neil Albert has not made any concrete decisions regarding Sursum as of yet.  KSI has removed Sursum from the list of current/upcoming development projects posted on the company website.   

      The fate of Sursum Corda and the 167 families living within its sidewalks remains undetermined.  The city, KSI, and the board of Sursum all maintain the best interest of Sursum neighbors are at heart.