Saint Elizabeths Progress

A major milestone was reached for the Department January 8, 2009, when the St. Elizabeths Final Master Plan was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). For the past three and a half years we worked closely with the General Services Administration, and all of the consulting parties with an interest in St. Elizabeths, to develop a Master Plan for a consolidated Department of Homeland Security Headquarters – a plan that meets our minimum requirement of 4.5 million square feet of functional office space, plus necessary parking. This approval makes way for us to begin the first phase of the plan – construction of the Coast Guard facility on St. Elizabeths.

I can’t tell you enough how very pleased I am with the close cooperation and support we’ve received from Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia government and the General Services Administration on this project. The D.C. City Council approved the East Campus Small Area Plan December 16, 2008, for redevelopment which provides for the 750,000 square feet of federal parcel to meet the minimum Department need. The breakthrough in the master plan development was the opportunity to synchronize the East Campus and West Campus developments for the benefit of both Homeland Security and the D.C. Government.

Relocating a portion of our program to the East Campus allows us to obtain our minimum square feet of office space, helps address density concerns on the West campus and provides a campus that can function as a single unified headquarters. It will also further enhance our interaction with the community and serve as a catalyst for retail and commercial development on the East Campus.

We currently have employees scattered throughout 70 buildings across the National Capital Region which – among other difficulties – impedes our communication and effectiveness. Our goal is to reduce our total number of office locations from more than 40 to about eight. To remedy this situation we’re consolidating Department facilities and collocating 14,000 of our Headquarters personnel at St. Elizabeths, a historic hospital campus located in Southeast Washington. Once completed, this project will further unify our components, enhance communication, and increase our mission effectiveness, ultimately improving our nation’s security.

Built more than 150 years ago, St Elizabeths remains a National Historic Landmark and we intend to honor its history by retaining and adaptively reusing 99.8 percent of the contributing square footage. The General Services Administration has diligently pursued its historic preservation stewardship responsibilities to stabilize, repair, maintain and assess the St. Elizabeths campus historic buildings and landscapes – representing a $28 million investment to date. The master plan incorporates significant measures to ensure the preservation, rehabilitation and reuse of this historic campus as it is revitalized for the new consolidated headquarters.

In addition to size and historical concerns, we’re also keenly aware of the impact our move will have on the surrounding community. To that end we will work directly with community leaders and consulting parties to implement the framework for limited public access outlined in the Section 106 Programmatic Agreement; while still preserving our security and operational requirements. We also plan to exclude the West Campus Cemetery from any security perimeters, thus maximizing public access opportunities. We look forward to being good neighbors and valued members of the community.

The 2009 fiscal year DHS Appropriations Bill passed by the Congress and signed by the President provides $97 million for tenant requirements to begin construction of the new Coast Guard Headquarters on the West Campus, which is the first phase of our Consolidated Headquarters effort. We look forward to GSA receiving their 2009 appropriation for the project at the conclusion of the current continuing resolution to start the building construction in earnest this fiscal year.

The St. Elizabeths Campus offers a tremendous opportunity to create a secure, state-of-the-art Headquarters focused on achieving our core mission¬—to protect our homeland. We look forward to becoming a valued member of the Ward 8 community as we redevelop and preserve the St. Elizabeths National Historic Landmark for generations to come.

Elaine C. Duke
Under Secretary for Management