Media are still reeling from last week’s buzz surrounding the police harassment of citizens’ feeding the homeless in Moore Square (#BiscuitGate). Given that such humanitarian acts have gone unimpeded in the park for the better part of a decade, one might be quick to conclude that this is an isolated incident. However such an understanding would fail to take into account the structural changes in property values, which are constantly molding and reshaping our city. Thus I contend that this incident can best be understood in the context of numerous policy shifts throughout Raleigh’s long history of selective demolition and construction.

We have once again entered a period of redevelopment in which the city acquires large chunks of property with the intention of selling them for large-scale apartment buildings that maximize profitability. The block in question, situated on S. Pearson and E. Hargett St. (once referred to as “Raleigh’s Main Black Street”), is currently worth around $7.7 million, according to the city of Raleigh’s property records (but is being appraised much higher). In light of this process, the city’s recent relocation of the Salvation Army begins to paint a picture of gentrification.

The current incident went viral following a blog post by Minister Hugh Hollowell (of Love Wins Ministries) on Aug. 24 in which he documented the week of police harassment across numerous humanitarian groups. The story reached a pinnacle when Mayor Nancy McFarlane made a public statement to the media from Moore Square Park. This was largely in response to the public outcry from local residents and allies abroad. She even went so far as to call Police Chief  Cassandra Deck-Brown to ensure arrests would not take place.

The story took a turn at last Wednesday’s emergency Law and Public Safety Committee meeting (which was well-attended by the disenfranchised community) when McFarlane withdrew from an on-air interview after learning she would be joined by Hollowell. Despite the community input, the reply from the mayor and city council has largely been one of silence. It is worth mentioning, the city put out 13 extra trash cans which were collected before they could be put to use last week. It was a sight seeing park workers’ astonished to the dozens of people loading up shopping bags of free food. Even I walked away with a bag of food and certainly wasn’t the only college student to do so. Being hungry this day in age is fairly common.

So here is where the class friction begins to materially present itself: On the one hand, humanitarians are willing to risk arrest to feed the hungry in a place that is renowned for its history of social capital. People of all types make use of the half-acre park, not just activists, artists and homeless. On the other hand, the city sees the immense profitability of redeveloping and rezoning the entire block. For them, the demarcation of Pearson Street/Wake Forest Road is an obstacle for the central business district which can at times soar into the more than $5 million range per piece of property. All property eastward is valued within the $250,000 range, which presents a barrier to the capital-intensive restoration. It seems likely the city council will seek to develop the multi-million dollar contract quietly without inciting some kind of political backlash. They have already obtained the Salvation Army building and all of the vacant lots. 

The history books will likely reflect a similar narrative to that of Fayetteville Street having now been “beautifully restored,” but in doing so we neglect the communities and cultural nuances of the Oak City. A high-rise apartment building (e.g. The Hue) doesn’t seem far off given the seeds of gentrification currently taking shape. The redevelopment narrative and would ultimately seek to create yet another Brier Creek or Glenwood South by expanding the commercial district. The city council needs to let the issue cool off before choosing either the commercial or do-nothing solution. 

Perhaps the city should consider a third alternative: Make the square block into a community center for the disenfranchised which expands the humanitarian tradition while sprucing up the aesthetic. On the afternoon of Sept. 1, dozens of people departed Moore Square with calories to sustain themselves and their loved ones for free. I have never seen such kind acts occurring near the high-end restaurants, yuppie condos and skyscraper corporate offices.