Shaw University

Last night, Raleigh City Council voted in favor of the Shaw University rezoning case Z-59-22. The vote was split (5-3) with Council Members Black, Jones and Patton in opposition. The case was challenging to navigate and here I provide my reasoning for voting in favor.

Shaw is the first historically Black institution of higher education in the South, the first college in the nation to offer a four-year medical program, the first historically Black college in the nation open to women, and the location of the founding of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960.

Because of Shaw’s critical history and great promise, we had more interaction on this rezoning case than any other thus far. Folks on every side shared their excitement and their worries. I am grateful to everyone who took the time to educate us on their perspective and understanding. Ultimately I voted in favor of this case because it presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a historically black college to reinvest in its students, its presence in our community, and its future.

Higher education at its core levels the playing field – it allows those who have little to gain an economic foothold. My dad was the first to go to college in his family. He grew up poor, with a mother who worked the night shift at a shoe factory and a dad who delivered newspapers in the early morning hours. My dad kept the household running, cooking and cleaning for his siblings while his parents made ends meet. When my dad attended college, he had to work. He hauled boxes from truck to truck for Sears warehouse at night. Waking up early to study and go to classes so that he would haven’t to carry heavy loads forever.

Because of my dad and my mom, I had the great privilege of attending college without financial worry. Of earning a degree and eventually having the resources – time, talent and treasure – to give back to my community. This is the promise of a college education. Returning to this rezoning case, this is the promise of Shaw.

The rezoning request puts fewer restrictions on Shaw’s downtown properties (26.5 acres) by removing them from the Prince Hall Historic Overlay District and allowing building heights from 3 to 30 stories. The current maximum building height is 12 stories.

According to Shaw, “This is a comprehensive effort to look at the university campus as a whole and determine how best to revitalize its historic properties and existing university facilities, develop new university facilities, attract desired amenities (stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, etc.), diversify revenue streams away from just tuition, and stitch the university deeper into the fabric of downtown Raleigh.”

The rezoning request allows significantly more housing and office space. Shaw has committed to build new housing for university students who may otherwise have difficulty finding housing nearby. A rezoning condition provides a minimum of 100 new beds for students. I expect the student housing investment to be larger given that Shaw currently has two dormitories in disrepair, one of which is no longer occupied.

I recognize the uncertainty in this case. We do not know the order of investments that will be made – whether Shaw will build a laboratory or a gymnasium for example. I appreciate the zoning condition for public meetings to update the community about development plans. My hope is that the financial freedom that this rezoning offers will give Shaw the tools to determine their pathway forward in conversation with the broader community.

One of the community groups who reached out on this case are members of the King Khalid Mosque. Shaw University closed the Mosque on their campus in 2020. They have been working with the Mosque on a MOU to re-establish space for worship. Rezoning cases can not require specific uses for or user groups that can access private property. But I am hopeful that Shaw and the Mosque come to an agreement. I commend Council Member Patton for working diligently to bring parties together for the MOU, and I am committed to seeing this agreement come together. I asked Shaw University to see this through and they have agreed to continue deliberations.

I also recognize the significant historic resources that Shaw manages. Estey, Tupper Memorial, Leonard, and Tyler Hall will be preserved in place. There is also a rezoning condition to limit heights for these four building to five stories. Additionally vibration-sensitive equipment is now required to be installed by a third party monitoring team inside these historic buildings if they are within 100’ of new development. The monitoring data will be reported to Raleigh staff and the State Historic Preservation Office every 6 months or as requested by the city.

The other two significant historic buildings – the Charles Frazier and Daniels-Pegues homes – shall remain in place or be relocated intact to another property. And they can only be moved if Raleigh City Council de-designates those historic resources. That is not a decision being made in this rezoning case.

Raleigh City Council will undergo a comprehensive review of the Prince Hall Historic Overlay District later this fall. I am committed to all interested parties, including the Raleigh Historic Development Commission, State Historic Preservation Office, and impacted residents having a clear voice in that process to guide us forward in protecting historic resources.

I value resident input and do my best to reconcile a multitude of needs and perspectives. With my vote, I put forth my hope in Shaw’s promise. That what comes next builds on the past and paves a sustainable, financially secure path forward.