by Brianna Crandall — August 14, 2013—On July 29, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Dan Tangherlini, along with DC Mayor Vincent Gray and other city and federal officials, officially opened the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Consolidated Headquarters campus with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the newly built U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters building. The opening of the new facility marks the completion of the first phase of the DHS consolidation project on the St. Elizabeths West Campus.
The opening also signifies a major step forward in making the Department’s “One DHS” vision of a central campus a reality. DHS is planning to consolidate more than 35 office locations in the Washington area in order to further enhance operational effectiveness. Secretary Napolitano commented, “Consolidating our facilities will increase efficiency and communication, while enhancing the Department’s prevention, response and recovery capabilities.” Administrator Tangherlini pointed out that the project supports the importance of the Coast Guard’s service of the American people, and represents a significant investment in the District’s Ward 8 community.
The ceremony marked the completion of the first phase, which consists of a 1.2 million-square-foot Coast Guard headquarters, a 2,000-car parking garage, perimeter security, the renovation of several historic buildings, and infrastructure improvements throughout the campus.
The DHS St. Elizabeths Campus project is utilizing multiple sustainable measures to reduce environmental impacts and long-term operating costs. The Coast Guard Headquarters in particular is seeking LEED v2.2 Gold certification, with such construction and operating measures as the following:
- Over 500,000 square feet of green roof used for stormwater management and energy efficiency
- Enhanced commissioning of all building systems for maximum efficiency
- Use of green housekeeping measures after completion and occupancy
- Use of low-emitting construction materials and furnishings
- Stormwater management system including wet ponds, bio-swales and step pools to handle stormwater runoff for entire campus
The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to begin moving the first of some 3700 military members and civilian employees currently housed in facilities along the Anacostia River in nearby Buzzard Point. The move is expected to take four months to complete, with much of it occurring on weekends to avoid potential disruptions to daily operations.
The entire project has a completion target date of FY2026.
