Renovations for MPD First District Station in Progress

Mayor Fenty Tours Bowen ES to Assure Timely Completion of Consolidated Forensic Lab

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty showcased construction progress the city has made in completing renovating Bowen Elementary School, the relocation site for the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District Station. Renovations at Bowen ES are being completed by the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OPEFM) who began working on the project in July 2008. Bowen is currently undergoing the last stage of demolition and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2009.  

Once MPD First District (1D) Station moves from its current location at 415 4th St SW in Ward 6, the city will begin construction on the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL), a lab where the District will bring together the functions of public safety forensic science and public health into a single world-class, state-of-the-art facility.  Relocating 1D to Bowen will keep MPD officers close to the neighborhoods they serve and continue to promote a community-policing model.

“The CFL is one of the most important projects in my Administration and key to improving the criminal justice system, in the District,” said Mayor Fenty. “The lab will coordinate crime, public safety and health investigations to help law enforcement solve crimes quickly without the need to rely on others and their competing priorities.”

The District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) and Office of Property Management (OPM) are soliciting proposals from qualified general contractors for the construction of the CFL project. The current MPD 1D headquarters will be abated and demolished as part of this contract. Solicitation packages will be available on Sept. 25, 2008 from the OCP website at www.ocp.dc.gov. Proposals are due by 10 am, Nov. 7, 2008.

The new consolidated facility will co-locate portions of three departments: the MPD forensic lab, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), and the Department of Health (DOH) public health lab. The lab will enhance the District's ability to respond to future public safety and health challenges by adding new laboratories with DNA and Bio-Safety Level 3 lab abilities.
The District’s forensic science and investigative work currently depends heavily on outside sources including federal and neighboring jurisdiction states and counties. The CFL will play a vital role in advancing and improving our public safety support, homeland security and our crime investigation capabilities.
The project will be a LEED Gold certified facility. For more information on the Consolidated Forensic Lab visit http://cfl.opm.dc.gov.