Preserving Design History

The development of St. Elizabeths as the consolidation site for the Department of Homeland Security embodies GSA’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This Recovery Act-funded project will include the new 1.2 million-square-foot headquarters of the U.S. Coast Guard.

St. Elizabeths was established by Congress in 1855 as a government hospital. It is divided into two campuses. The West Campus is owned by the federal government and is under the custody and control of GSA. This project is the largest federal construction project in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since the Pentagon was built during World War II.

GSA is going to great lengths to preserve the character of this national historic landmark. The agency will preserve and reuse 51 of the 62 buildings on the West Campus, while incorporating many sustainable elements. About 80 percent of the roof area on the new buildings will be green. GSA’s goal is to achieve the gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Buildings Council.

The project will also have tremendous economic benefits for the neighborhood, the city, the region, and the nation. The total cost for the project is $3.4 billion, and the project will generate thousands of jobs, both on-site and off-site. At the peak of the construction cycle, 1,000 people will be working on-site, supported by 100 small-business subcontractors and vendors.

After losing his job in South Carolina, Bellinger Folk relocated to Washington, D.C., where he found work on this Recovery Act project. Watch his story.

Read more about GSA’s Recovery Act efforts.