Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon and welcome to the National Capital Planning Commission's June 5th, 2025 open meeting. Uh first, Secretary Huddlecox, can you please take the roll call? Yes. Commissioner Kart here. Commissioner STDM here. Commissioner Argo here. Vice Chair Hullet here. Chair Goodman here. Commissioner Tonal Williams here. Commissioner Dixon here. Commissioner Cash here. Commissioner McGawan present. Marcelic Costa, executive director and Diane Sullivan, director of the current planning division are also in the meeting. Wonderful. Noting the presence of a quorum, I'd like to call this meeting to order. Today's meeting is livereamed and will be available in a few days as a video on our NCPC website. And if there's no objection, the agenda as posted is adopted and is the order of business. Would you please join me and stand for the pledge of allegiance? Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Agenda item number two is report of the chair. And I'd just like to say that first I I have uh acted on a delegated action that uh took place this month pursuant to the delegations of authority adopted by the commission on March 6th, 2025. I approve the transfer of jurisdiction of lands from the National Park Service to the District of Colombia for a portion of reservation 360 at Francis Field located in northwest Washington DC. The transfer will promote expanded recreational and educational

opportunities through the improvement of the existing recreational facilities and programming at Francis dog park, the Francis pool, and the basketball and tennis courts. This transfer will also support the use of the outdoor space in the recreational field location of the Francis Stevens School. And second, I have the pleasure of announcing yet another retirement. Michael Sherman's retirement this month. Um uh uh has has is happening. And Michael has been an instrumental part of this agency for 28 years. He first started as an intern with NCPC in 1991. And he later joined the agency in 1997 as a geographic information systems manager. Michael is best known for his 15 years as NCPC's policy and research division director, where he led the team that worked on the comprehensive plan, the federal capital improvements program, commemoration, and many other special initiatives that sought to protect and enhance federal assets and cultural and natural resources in the nation's capital. He worked on many high-profile and catalytic projects, including the design of the National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture, the Height Master Plan, and Beyond Granite. We would also like to acknowledge Michael's military service with the US Army. In 2022, he retired as a colonel after 26 years, and he served in two combat tours. Michael, we want to thank you together as a commission and I want to thank you as chair of the commission for your federal and military service and wish you very much um luck and all the best in your next uh endeavor in your next adventure. So, thank you, Michael.

And I just on a personal note want to say that Michael, it's been a joy to work with you. Um you're so helpful in when I became um the chair of the commission and you were very good at showing me the ropes and some of these big projects as was mentioned very highly catalytic projects in the district and in the in the capital region. So, thank you and I know you'll continue to contribute to the capital region in your next adventure. So, thank you again. Agenda item number three is report of the executive director Marcel Aosta. Thank you, Chair Goodman, and good afternoon. Uh, today our team will update the commission on the inter agency Pennsylvania Avenue initiative. We're also offering similar virtual presentations to the public on Thursday, June 12th and on Tuesday, June 24th. and further information can be found on NCPC's website. Also, on behalf of the NCPC staff, I'd like to express our gratitude to Mike Sherman on his well-deserved retirement. Um, as the chair mentioned, his accomplishments as a longtime member of the NCPC staff for over two decades, showcase his commitment to the planning profession and dedication to this agency. I'd also like to acknowledge his service as colonel in the Army Army Reserve, and we thank Mike for his service. I wish him all the best. Uh, your packet includes my full report and I'm more than happy to answer any questions uh that you might have. Thank you, Marcel. Do any commissioners in the chambers or online uh have any questions for um Marcel today? Hearing none. Thank you, Marcel. We'll move on. Agenda item number four is a legislative update from Megan Huddle Cox. Megan, thank you. I don't have any specific legislation to report on to the commission this month, but I'm happy to answer any questions on pending legislation if there are any. Very good. Commissioners, do you have any questions online or in the chambers? Any questions for um um Megan Huddlecox

today? Hearing none, we'll move on. Thank you, Megan. We have five items on the open session today. Three applications and two information presentations. Agenda item 5A is a request to approve final site development plans for the Texas Legation Memorial. And today we're going to be hearing from uh Jamie her on this project. Jamie, good afternoon. Good members of the commission. The memorial for commission review and approval. Just a couple of quick refreshers on memorials and where we are right now in this commemorative process. This is the final review for this memorial as noted here. At this point, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission and the US Commission of Fine Arts have approved memorial. Nick Mack has an advisory role over the commemorative works whereas CFA and NCPC have approval authority on site and design. The commission previously reviewed the site selection for the memorial in December of 2021 and the preliminary design in March of 2024. Also, a quick reminder of the required criteria outlined in the commemorative works act for site and design approval. This includes locating the work and surroundings that are relevant to the subject and in a location that does not interfere with an existing work. The location should also protect open space and existing public use as well as cultural and natural resources. And with that, I'll get into the submission. In 2020, under public law 116-248, Congress authorized the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to build a commemorative work in Washington DC to commemorate and honor those who, as representatives of the Republic of Texas, served in the District of Columbia as diplomats to the United

States, and made possible the annexation of Texas as the 28th state. The proposed memorial location is on the south side of Indiana Avenue Northwest. As noted here, as part of the memorial design process, the applicant studied existing memorials in the area for context. The memorial site is an existing planter surrounded by a low stonecloud wall. The site is between the Argentine naval ates and public sidewalk on the south side of Indiana Avenue. The proposed memorial will not impact existing pedestrian circulation or access, and the site itself has good access and visibility from the adjacent public sidewalk and street. The existing planter contains a light fixture and trees that will be removed as part of the memorial construction. The final final memorial has not changed significantly since the prior review and includes two main elements, the stone memorial and the landscaping. for the stone memorial. The design for the memorial includes a star-shaped stone base topped with a pentagon-shaped memorial plinth and a Daughters of the Republic of Texas medallion. The applicant is proposing the star base and plinth constructed out of white Mount Airy granite which will be topped with the 11in diameter Daughters of the Republic of Texas Historic Sites medallion. Here are the final plinth panel details. On the three sides of the plinth closest to the sidewalk, the applicant is proposing three memorial engravings telling the story of the Texas Legation, a map of the Republic of Texas, and the Republic of Texas diplomats sent to Washington DC. The commission previously recommended the applicant increase the size of the memorial text to improve visibility. And the final proposed text size for the left and right engraving face is proposed at 3/4 of an inch, which was an increase from the previous 1/2 in. The second part of the memorial design is the landscaping. The final memorial landscape is organized by two

asymmetrical plant pallets oriented to the northwest corner where the memorial is located. A field of low growing native evergreen sedge makes up the foreground maintaining access to the plinth. Beyond the sedge is an interplanted field of meadow plants. The sweep bay magnolia is located on access from the memorial plinth. The selection of plants that comprise the memorial are either native to Texas or to the Mid-Atlantic of Washington DC. Here is a rendering of the memorial with the proposed landscaping. In conclusion, staff recommends the commission approve the final site development plans for the proposed Texas Legation Memorial in Washington DC. This concludes my presentation. I have included the executive director's recommendations, but they are listed here for your reference. I would like to introduce Kitty Hook, Republic of Texas Legigation Memorial Special Committee Chairperson with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who would like to make some remarks. Thank you. Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't have my mic on. Thank you, Jamie. And I want to welcome Miss Kitty Hook to make your comments to the commission. Um, I just want would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the National Capital Planning Commission and their staff, the National Park Service and their staff, the Commission of Fine Arts and their staff, and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and members of the Legation Memorial Committee. Um, I'd also like to thank Carolyn Warlick Levens from Baylor Blender and Bell. she's the designer of the memorial and Sarah Downing the landscape architect. There are many, many others to

thank. We are proud of this memorial and we are proud to join all those who contributed to the memorial. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks for joining us today and thanks for your work on this project. Thank you. Um, if there are no further comments, uh, Jamie and Kitty, then we're going to ask the commissioners online if they have any questions or the commissioners in the chambers. Are there any questions for our presenters? Hearing none, then is there a motion to approve the final site development plans for the Texas Legation Memorial? Move approval, Madam Chair. It's been moved by Vice Chair Hulet. Could I have a second, please? Seconded by Commissioner Stum. And now we will open up this um project for discussion and I would like to start the deliberations today with Commissioner Stidum. Thank you um and thank you for the presentation. Um this is going to be a great addition to the city um uh a beautiful space uh to a very great cause. Um, so we look forward to to moving from this final review to construction um and having this available to the public to understand and learn about the history. Wonderful. Thank you very much, Commissioner Stum. Commissioner Argo, I think this is um I think this is a lovely um addition to uh to our memorials and appreciate the work that's been done on it and the um and the interest that the commissioners has in seeing this going forward. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Argo. Vice Chair Hulet. Yeah. Um thank you again miss and

everyone for the presentation. Um there is a lot of history there and some not as pretty um in terms of what the um Indian removal act there in Texas. that I this memorial is important and it's supposed to tell the the story of how Texas became our 28th was it 28 28th state um I guess it was from 45 and I think it's important to tell that story it's important for those people who worked so hard to make um bring this to fruition um as our 20th state um but I hope it tells a little bit of the whole story leading up to the Trail of Tears. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Chair Hulet. Uh, Commissioner Tontol Williams. Um, no real additional comments other than I know this has been a long time coming, so congratulations to the applicant and to the staff um for bringing this to a close. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Tonstall Williams. Commissioner Dixon. Commissioner Dixon. I'm going to move on to Commissioner Cash and we'll catch up with Commissioner Dixon if he if he has back on. No additional questions or comments, but thanks so much for the presentation. Thank you, Commissioner Cash. And Commissioner McGowan. No additional comments. Thank you for the presentation. Thank you, Commissioner McGowan. And I want to thank the Daughters of the Republic of Texas for working with the National Park Service to update the memorial design with a larger font size uh so that the memorial is legible to visitors and with the appropriate plant selection that's relevant to the memorial's commemorative intent. And I look forward to seeing the memorial realized and visiting it when it is completed. Are there any further comments or questions? Hearing none. Can the secretary please confirm the motion and the second and take the vote by roll call? Yes. The

motion was made by Vice Chair Hullet and seconded by Commissioner STDM. Commissioner Kosart. Yes. Commissioner STDM. Yes. Commissioner Argo. Yes. Vice Chair Hullet. Yes. Chair Goodman. Yes. Commissioner Tonstall Williams. Yes. Commissioner Dixon. Commissioner Cash. Yes. Commissioner McGawan abstain. The motion has carried. Thank you. U Megan. Agenda item 5B is a request to approve preliminary site and building plans for the Heritage Men's Emergency Shelter. Um and we're going to hear today from Michael While. Michael, thank you. Thank you very much. Uh good afternoon, Chair Goodman and members of the commission. The District Department of General Services has submitted plans to construct a new men's shelter located along New York Avenue in northeast Washington DC. And this would replace the existing shelter with which uh suffers from limited floor space, a failing HVAC system, and outdated electrical and plumbing infrastructure. Here's the project site located on the outskirts of the Ivy City Navy uh neighborhood just to the north of Galudet University and east of the National Park Services Brentwood maintenance facility. The project site is part of a larger land parcel which is owned by the federal government outlined here in red and this was transferred to the district for its use in 2010. The project site is currently developed with surface parking and an animal shelter with an existing forest conservation easement area along its west side. And here are two ground view uh photos. Uh one one looking directly south across New York Avenue and then

the other view here faces west looking approximately parallel to New York Avenue. The main entrance to the new facility would be through the welcome center located in the northeast corner of the site. And then the new new building would have two offset multi-level dormatory wings as illustrated here in this 3D massing model of the project. The new shelter design is has a distinctive modern look with uh stepped facades with space for over 400 beds and 80 to 100 additional uh CS during colder weather. Uh the new men's uh facility will also provide medical services, educational programs, recreational activities, dining, and counseling. The project would construct on-site parking for staff and visitors, a loading dock area connecting access roads, and a rear patio area with vehicular access to the site provided only from Fair View a Avenue in the future. In addition, the district is currently working with the National Park Service to modify the existing forest conservation e uh easement area in order to accommodate the project. And we note that NPS will submit the revised transfer agreement to NCPC for review and approval in the future as part of our uh executive director's comments. The building design takes several architectural cues from the nearby historic Hec Warehouse apartments which are located just up the street from the project site, including the new shelter stepped facade, its punched openings, and its glass and mason masonry exterior. Here's the project's landscape plan, which shows approximately 25 new trees on the site. And the district is considering additional trees along the street frontage as they continue to

refine their plans. And NCPC staff supports a more robust streetscape here so as to enhance the visual quality of the corridor uh as an important gateway into downtown Washington DC. And we also reflect this point in our executive director's uh recommendation comments. The landscape plan shows separate mostly native planting pallets for the bio retention and non bio retention areas with a variety of meadow and pollinator species and two species of milkweed, swamp milkweed and butterfly milkweed. And we do have one person who has signed up to testify here at today's meeting who would like to urge the district to add common milkweed to their plan as well and to use all native plants and parent species. However, staff has reviewed the landscape plans and we find it to be consistent with our best practices guidance and we note this as part of our executive director's comments. So, here is our preliminary approval recommendation of the commission. And our comments have all been included in my presentation here today. And before I conclude, I would like to note that we do have uh the project's land use attorney, Miss Meredith Maldenhower, who is here in person, as well as several of the design team members uh who are at today's meeting virtually. And they are all available for any questions that you may have uh after the testimony. Thank you. Thank you, Michael. Are there any questions uh from commissioners in the chambers or online? Any questions for Michael? Yes, we have one question. Is there a reason? I I know it's an irregular site, but why the buildings don't hold the straight edge? Is that a programmatic choice or is it just a design choice? I believe it's a design choice, but I would uh like someone from the design team to respond. Okay.

Yes. Hi, this is Siman Sorg and I'm the lead designer from Sorg Architects. You know the grid on this part of IV city is orthagonal shifting to radial. So the the property lines become radial as you go um east on Fair View Avenue. So, one of the um um uh wings parallels New York Avenue and then the other one becomes a radial wing as you go east. Um the other reason for it uh not following all along New York Avenue that the community and the client DHS did not want a long block institutional looking building. They wanted a smaller scale residential buildings scattered in a garden. So it gives um protected um courtyard space both between the two wings in the front and the back for outdoor gathering. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any additional questions? Yes, Commissioner Cash. Well, as we're talking about design, I guess I'll bite. So, one of the things that really kind of uh leapt out to me here, the patios, like I haven't seen that design in any of the other shelters that that we've done lately, and it seems like for an institutional use like this, I mean, I would love to have a patio. I've been living in DC 25 years and haven't, but it's taking away a lot of square footage that could otherwise be used for like program space or for shelter space. So, I'm just wondering what the the idea behind these these large patios were for a use such as this. Uh if I may answer uh um the um co taught us that being an outdoor space

contiguous to the residential space without going through the building mixing with other people was very important. So this shelter is uh is uh designed with only 50 beds per floor, only 10 beds per dorm. And so each end of each floor is a lounge space and a quiet space. And off the lounge space is a small terrace which is open to the sky so that people uh can be uh can use the terrace in small groups. uh uh you know, and it's a supervised terrace and so each um dorm of 10 people or so can be let into the lounge and into the patio um in a secure way. Thank you very much. Commissioner Cash, did you have any additional questions? I see another comment coming. I can't read it though. So perhaps someone uh could have I think it was someone from DHS that was raising someone from DH DHS had raised their hand online. Is there someone who wanted to comment an answer to that question? No, I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. No, my apologies. I join recently joined as a panelist. Um but just to answer the um or add more context to the previous question, my name is Dwayne Gentry. I'm the facilities operations manager for Department of Human Services. Okay. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you very much for having us. Um there's another example where we've um uh utilized a patio at the uh short-term family housing site at the Terrell, which is 1400 um Clifton Avenue. Um, and it does allow us the flexibility um to be able to offer or or to um allow for more uh

entertaining uh within the space rather than congregating outside the space. Thank you for sharing that information. Uh we appreciate that. Okay. Are there any further questions from commissioners in the chambers or online? Hearing none, uh we're going to now turn to public testimony. And we do have one person signed up uh to speak today, Mr. Bernard Burn, who is attending the meeting virtually. Uh you have three minutes to provide your testimony. Could you please first of all, are you there? Mr. Burn, Mr. Burn, are you online? Oh, now can you hear me? Yes, sir. We can hear you. It's good to hear your voice. Go for it. I was I was I was muted for some reason. Oh, dear. Okay. Okay. The the the I said this before to you, but I'll repeat it again. The the landscape project plan for this project, as many others, does not comp adequately conform to the NCPC's poly best practice resource guide. The guide states common milkeed is clearly an important species that is critical to survive with the monarch butterflies. This is important because now it is being considered as a designation as a uh as a threatened species by the fish and wildlife service. Uh within meadows landscapes are land and designed landscapes common milkweed should be planted along with diversity of other milkweed species on federal landscape plans to the fullest extent possible and as appropriate for the site conditions. Nevertheless, the landscaping does not contain any information and for some strange reason staff didn't consider this as major

deficiency. It is ditches are within the a broad array array of with a broad array of natural habitats of common milkweed which also thrives in meadows. Common milky is adapted to st stand standing water which often accumulates in ditches. The agency should therefore install common milkweed in the plant projects plant storm water retention management or bio retention facilities. The bio retention plan schedule contains storm milkweed. However, this is an early successful plant that tends to disappear as vegetative densities increase and habitats dry out. The planters should therefore contain slot milkweed only if the so area soil will not dry out which is not likely. The uh the native plant grass wildflower mixes contain butterfly weed aspia to prota. However, the guide states that studies have shown that monox butterflies lay fewer eggs on esleapius tubrosa than on other milkeeds. The agency should replace all butterfly milkweed plugs with similar numbers of common milkweed plugs. The agency should also replace containers of sw milkweed in the bio retention plant schedule with similar numbers of common milkweed containers. These are simple changes, but I don't they don't seem to be done. the the the plant schedules in mixes for this phase project will contain eight species of plants that are either not native to North America or native to North America but are not native to the national capital region. Three of these are already known to be invasive. Two of the native grass wildflower mixes contain one of these plants, purple cone flour. The agency should replace all non-native species with species that are native to the NA National Capital Region. My written testimony could say war reassure this and some other things too. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Burn. We appreciate your input. Thank you for testifying today. Is there a motion to

approve the preliminary site and building plans for the Heritage Men's uh emergency shelter? So move, Madam Chair. It's been moved by Vice Chair Hulet. Is there a second? Second. It's been seconded by Commissioner Stidum. Um, and now I'm going to open this up for commission discussion. So, I will start deliberations with Commissioner Kosart. Uh, I don't have any comments. Uh, thanks to the staff for your work on this. Thank you, Commissioner Kosart. Uh, Commissioner STDM. Uh, thank you for the presentation. Uh, we are very supportive of this work. We are working uh with the district to retransfer this property for this use. um and um feel like it's a very good project to move forward. Thank you, Commissioner Stidum. Commissioner Argo online. Um yes, I'm uh very supportive of this and the work that's been um that's been done. Appreciate the presentation. Um looking forward um with our approval to have this uh to have this get underway. It's um it's overdue. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Argo. Vice Chair Hulet. Um, yes. Thank you, Mr. Wall, for the presentation, and I concur with my colleagues for their very positive um response to this uh initiative. Um, I truly applaud the mayor's homework DC initiative to begin with and these this new um these these new um beds and this new facilities um will be a tremendous asset for and much needed asset um for people and um I just thank you for that. Thank you, Vice Chair Huitt. Um, Commissioner Tonstall Williams,

thank you for the presentation and and I too I'm very supportive of the project. I do, I think, share Commissioner Cash Cash's concern that are we leaving some development onto the table for a muchneeded resource, right? Is there a way to get additional rooms and beds here? Obviously there's budgetary and other implications but um I think it's worth exploring because there is I think additional development capacity on the site while still providing the outdoor sort of respbit that that you're looking to provide them. Um because I can't help myself. I know we're at preliminary design. Um the the facade expression feels very checkerboardy to me. Um so I would it it feels a little um I don't know. you don't want to have the connotation of people being pawns. Um, so just thinking about how that expression sort of evolves over time to soften a little bit. Um, it it kind of seems in Congress with the with the soft landscape around it. So just something to think about as the design develops. I know we're very early days, but very supportive of the project and um, welcome to see how it evolves. Thank you, Commissioner Tonstall Williams. Um, Commissioner Dixon online. Commissioner Dixon, I think we've lost you. Um, we'll come back if Commissioner Dixon reappears. Commissioner Cash, thank you. Um, not to be a dead horse, but I I I thank Commissioner Tonal Williams for for her comments. So, I mean, and just looking at the 1400 Clifton property, I mean, they seem to have a decent sized roof area. I think it's it's great to have that outdoor space. I know when we were looking the shelter up on Idaho Avenue, there's a lot of push back from the neighbors about having congregating space outdoors and I'm hoping this is kind of a response to that where we're just going to say, "Okay, we're going to keep it on the site so people won't circulate in the neighborhood because I think those concerns have turned out to be kind of unfounded." So, um, when we're talking about a constrained site that we're kind of have a lot of untapped development potential for a really huge patio for a 10person dorm, um, and especially you're saying there's going to be supervised program space on each floor. I'm just thinking that's extra DHS staff on each

floor. I just think that while you're still at the preliminary design phase, if we can get like two more beds in per floor with some of this this reclaimed space and have a more communal space that'll will maximize the number of beds we can get in here and a and to make still a very comfortable and great facility. I think it's just something to look at. So, um I'll just leave it there. So, thanks. Thank you, Commissioner Cash. Appreciate your comments. I want to thank um Mr. Burn again. He's always um prepared to share thoughtful comments with us and we do appreciate that, Mr. burn and it does help shape um our um approach to uh these projects. Obviously, this is a very worthwhile project and I would like to associate myself with um those who've said that perhaps there's a way to get a few more rooms in through the design. But I also want to congratulate the team for identifying um a living a residential space for vulnerable individuals that is surroundable surrounded by beauty because I do think that it's very important for all of us to be surrounded by nature and to have spaces where we can just be in direct contact with with nature. So I I I reading this uh report found that that was um that was significant jumped out at me and I thought wow that's that's a powerful that's a powerful location. I love it. So I I do understand that we need there's a great need. So I just want to congratulate the team uh and look forward to seeing the final designs returned back to the commission. Are there any further questions or comments? Hearing none, we'll move on. Can the secretary please confirm the motion in the second and take the vote by roll call? Yes. The motion was made by Vice Chair Hullet and seconded by Commissioner Stidum. Commissioner Kosart, yes. Commissioner STDM, yes. Commissioner Argo, yes. Vice Chair Hullet, yes. Chair Goodman, yes. Commissioner Tonstall Williams, yes.

Commissioner Cash, yes. Commissioner McGawan, abstain. Thank you very much. That motion has carried. Agenda item 5 C is a request to approve final site and building plans for joint base Meer Henderson Hall unaccompanied in enlisted personnel barracks. And Jamie Hermer returns and is going to give this report. Jamie, welcome back. Yeah, hope you're not tired of me yet. All right. Good afternoon again, Chair Goodman and members of the commission. The US Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the US Army has submitted the final site and building plans for the unaccompanied enlisted personnel barracks project at Joint Base Meer Henderson Hall in Fort Meyer, Virginia for commission review and approval. The commission's final review of projects focuses on whether the applicant address the comments and recommendations made during preliminary review on topics such as landscape design, storm water management, programming, and consistency with the comprehensive plan. Joint Base Meer Henderson Hall includes two locations. Joint Base in Fort Meyer, Virginia and Fort McNair in Southwest Washington DC. Joint Base Meer Henderson Hall is 272 acres that is home to several Army and US Marine units including the headquarters for the Joint Base Command Battalion and US Marine Corps as well as the US Army Band, the Old Guard, the Radar US Army Clinic, and the Commander and Chief's Guard. The northern portion of the base is primarily army focused missions and the southern portion is Marine Corps missions. The project site is in the center of the base along Sheridan Avenue as shown here. The applicant is also proposing a site for habitat restoration as part of tree replacement requirements northeast of the project site noted here. The existing site contains several buildings, including historic residential duplexes, garages, and a decommissioned pool facility planned for demolition as part of the project. As a

reminder, the applicant is able to demolish these buildings by complying with the process outlined in the program comment for Department of the Army interwar historic housing associated buildings and structures and landscape features from 1919 to 1940, also referred to as the program comet, which was enacted in 2020. The applicant has finalized the details of the barracks with only minimal changes since preliminary review. The main updates are to the landscape plans, the courtyards, dormers, roofing material, and front porches, which I will now go into in more detail. As noted, here are the final proposed materials. The applicant is proposing brick and stone to match existing buildings, faux slate roofing, and standing seam metal on the porches. This is the design approved by the commission at the preliminary review last year. As you can see here, the buildings are almost unchanged from the preliminary review at this view and include historic massing and scale to coordinate with existing buildings and historic districts in the area. This is a view of the building from the east at the preliminary review a year ago. And this is the updated view of the courtyard as viewed from the landscape area to the east. The applicant has made minor changes to the porches and courtyards. in more detail. Here's a closeup of one of the courtyards from the preliminary review and the final review. The courtyard treatment where you can see the updates including terracing and additional seating. Here is a bird's eye view of the updated buildings. Given the updates, staff commends the applicant for finalizing the design to respect the historic integrity of the site. Specifically, the applicant has maintained the overall scale, materials, fenestration, and design of the architecture from the preliminary review to continue to be compatible with the Fort Meyer National Historic District.

They've updated the courtyard spaces to create restful space for enlisted personnel. They've ensured that the security standoff requirements are requirements are met without sacrificing design quality. and they have preserved existing street trees by providing a greater setback and adding landscaping to create a campus environment that blends with the existing context. The app plan has also made minor changes to the landscape plans. The proposed plant selections are focused on non-invasive and hearty species as pictured here. Many of the proposed plants will be used in the bioil plantings to the east of the buildings or in the habitat restoration zone. In addition to the site plantings, the applicant designated a habitat restoration area northeast of the site for tree replacement. The area will include a walking path and a mixture of plants, some of which are pictured here, and staff commends the applicant for updating the habitat restoration area to create a high quality and inviting space. In regards to the overall landscape plan, the commission has received public comment indicating concern about a lack of native pollinator species and the use of non-native species in the planting pallet. The applicant has responded that some of the suggested changes were incorporated into the design of the landscape plan and the off-site habitat restoration area, including the use of milkweed and button bush. The applicant has also indicated, however, that some of the suggestions were not appropriate for the landscape or location. staff notes the applicant has updated the plans with some plants they deemed appropriate and believes the plans comply with the comprehensive plan for the national capital and guidance in NCPC's pollinator best practices resource guide. In conclusion, staff recommends the commission approve the final site development plans for the unaccompanied enlisted personnel barracks at Joint Base Meer Henderson Hall. This concludes my presentation. I've incorporated the executive director's recommendations into my presentation, but I have

included them here for your reference. I'm available to answer any questions you may have, and the project team is available to answer any questions as well. Thank you. Thank you, Jamie. Do commissioners online or in the chambers have any questions for our presenter today? Any questions? Hearing none, uh we'll turn now to public testimony. We have one person signed up to speak today, Mr. Bernard Burn. You have three minutes to provide your testimony. Please proceed when you are ready. Hello. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thank you. Thank you. I can't work this time. Most of my comments for this project are similar to the ones that I made for the previous projects. I have to repeat them. Unfortunately, the uh this landscape plan for this project does not adequately conform to the NCPC's pollinated vegetable practice resource guide. As I previously noted, the guide stated with it states within meadows and designed landscapes, common milkweed should be planted along with diversity of other milkeed species on federal landscape plans to the fullest extent possible and as appropriate for the site conditions. Nevertheless, the landscape of this project also does not contain any common milkeed, although it is appropriate for the uh site conditions. As I stated previously, ditches are within the broad array of natural habitats of common milkweed, which also thrives in man oaks. Common milkweed is adapted to standing water, which often common a common accumulates in ditches. As I stated in the previous project, the agency should install common milkweed in the project's plan storm water management and bio retention facilities. I have to repeat this often. Uh the the the landscape will contain swamp milkweed. However, as I previous also stated previously, this is an early successional plant that is not a good vegetative comp competitor and tends to disappear as habitats dry out. The planting should therefore contain

include swamp milkweed only if the sites soil will have s will not be able to dry out. This is not likely as uh because they do dry out even if retention facilities. The agency will border a proud appraised outdoor plaza with chinko trees. That non-native tree although not invasive does uh how actually host few holds hosts fewer native pollinators. You won't see chewed up leaves on on bueno trees. The agency should replace the eight jinkos with willow oaks which will plant in similar areas within the project. The the proposed landscape plantings include Valley Forge American elm. This cultivor has only a limited resistance to Dutch elm disease. At my request, the agency proposed to consider Jefferson and Princeton American elm as substitute for valley forge. However, the parent tree of Jefferson, which was on the national wall, was dying in 2023 because of Dutch elm disease. It's not a good preer plant considering that the the the agency should therefore install Newton harmony and Princeton rather than Valley Forge or Jefferson. A National Elm Trial cooperators a co a National Elm Trials cooperators chose those two as their favorite American elm cultivars. That's New Harmony and Princeton. Please make that change that uh to those uh trees. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Burn. Are there any questions from commissioners online or in the chambers for our witness today? Hearing none. Um, thank you again, Mr. Burn. And, uh, we will move on. Uh, is there a motion to approve final site and building plans for joint base Meer Henderson Hall unaccompanied enlisted personnel barracks. So move,

Madam Chair. There's been a motion by vice chair by chair huelet, second by commissioner argo and I'll open this up for to the commission for discussion and I'm going to start with commissioner green is not here so we're going to move on to commissioner tontol williams. Um I don't have any questions but I would like to commend the design team on the sort of careful contextual design. I mean I I remember touring this site a couple years ago early on and that wasn't at all a given. So, I do um commend the team uh for a great progress. I think it it looks great. My only question is whether those courtyards will get any sun so the beautiful plants can grow. But um otherwise, great project. Forward to it moving forward. Thank you, Commissioner Tontol Williams. Commissioner Dixon. No, is he not on? Okay. Commissioner Cash, I was also going to thank the the team for the tour a couple years ago. I think it was it was good to get the context of the site and and walking around, especially the buildings with the the courtyards. I remember walking by and so I think that um designs landed in a good place and I I look forward to it moving forward. Great. Thank you, Commissioner McGawan. No comments. Thank you for the presentation. Thank you, Commissioner McGowan. Commissioner Kart, thanks to the staff for their work on this project. Um it and it's turned out to be in a really good place. No other comments for me. Thank you, Commissioner Kosart. Commissioner Stidum, uh I also thank you. Um, and I think it looks great. Um, so nothing further. Thank you, Commissioner Stidum. Uh, Commissioner Argo, I have uh I I'm align myself with the other commissioners comments. It's um it looks really good and and something that I think we're, you know, at least those of us we've I've heard from are happy to support. So, um, thank you. No other comments. Thank

you, Commissioner Argo. Vice Chair Huitt. Yeah. Thank you, Miss for your um presentation and uh I too align myself with the comments of my colleagues and applaud the design team for the continued refinement as well. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Chair Huitt. Mr. Burn, I just like to say thank you again for sharing your comments with the commission and thank you to the applicant team for the inspired uh design. I am uh also very impressed and and um after touring the site but also seeing the great work that was done in the design and um just just very very very nice and it's so important to provide quality housing for service members and and also to ensure that um that these projects contribute to the base as a whole. So thank you very much very congratulations all around. Are there any further comments or questions hearing? None. Can the secretary please confirm the motion and take the role? Yes. The motion was made by Vice Chair Hullet and seconded by Commissioner Argo. Commissioner Kart, yes. Commissioner STDM, yes. Commissioner Argo, yes. Vice Chair Hulet, yes. Chair Goodman, yes. Commissioner Tonstall Williams, yes. Commissioner Cash, yes. Commissioner McGawan, abstain. Thank you very much, Megan. And now we're going to move on to the last two agenda items. The first is agenda item 6A. And this is an information presentation on the Pennsylvania Avenue initiative update. Karen um Shehold will introduce the update on new Pennsylvania Avenue plan to from the design team. Uh David Rubin uh land collective. I'm very excited about our um federal and district partners progress to develop a new plan that will beautify the avenues public spaces, upgrade the aging

infrastructure, and create efficient stewardship to improve maintenance operations and programming. Uh I just want to say this is an incredibly um exciting project. It is going to be a legacy project. it's needed to define the next half century in Washington DC and it's a rare opportunity to be participating in this and from um reading the reports and and following this I just want to say thank you for all the work in advance on this because it's breathtaking in scope and it's a very important project. So uh thank you. So Karen, if you'd like to proceed, please um you and and David, thank you so much for being here in person today. Um your legacy sort of precedes you, too. So, thank you for being a part of this. Okay. Thank you, Karen. Um, thank you and good afternoon, Chair Goodman and members of the commission. I'm very happy to be here today with David Rubin from our consultant team to share a progress update on the new Pennsylvania Avenue plan public space master plan. For those that may be tuning in for the first time, I'll briefly cover some background information. Our project area is focused on the 1.2 2-m segment of Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the US Capital and includes the intersecting streets, adjacent blocks, and about 40 acres of public space. The Avenue is currently guided by a 50-year-old 1974 plan developed by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation. This plan is administered through a complex jurisdictional structure with several federal and district agencies responsible for district different aspects of planning and operations within the corridor. In 2023, NCPC, the National Park Service, the US General Services Administration, District of Columbia government, downtown DC Business Improvement District, and Events DC formed a partnership to prepare a new Pennsylvania Avenue plan. Federal and local stakeholders agree on a new vision that the Avenue

should be a beautiful street designed for people first and that its highest and best use is as a venue elevated as America's stage for events of regional and national significance. And the avenue needs to be a better place for daily life. A memorable memorable destination that balances pedestrian, bikes, vehicles, and transit with beautiful and engaging public spaces for people to enjoy every day, all day and into the evening. Two teams are leading the development of this new plan. David Ruben Lane Collective is leading the public space master plan, which is the subject of today's presentation. This is a physical public space plan that will address the alignment and configuration of the street and public spaces and the infrastructure needs to realize the vision of the avenue as a venue. Improvements to the avenues corridor and public spaces will make them safe, beautiful, and event ready. HRNA advisers is leading the implementation program which will address governance including administration, operations, and maintenance all critical to the avenues use, upkeep, enjoyment, and long-term success. The consultant teams are working closely with our partners, both senior executives and their technical experts, as well as NCPC's internal planning and design staff. Design team um L Collective shown in the green bars started in December. They're currently working towards preliminary design alternatives that will be part of the new plan. This is where we are now. The next phase of work will be to begin NEPA and section 106 later this fall. Once we initiate nepen 106, we have a year to complete the design development and required documentation. That year includes going to this commission and the commission of fine arts for review, comment and ultimately approval of the new plan. We have we will have several opportunities for public comment during this phase. We hope to have the new plan substantially complete by America's 250th anniversary

of independence, though we anticipate approval of the final plan to be sometime in early 2027. Once approved, certain aspects of the new plan will require legislative actions before implementation, after which another entity and not NCPC will lead final design and construction. And now I'm very excited to turn it over to David Rubin from David Rubin Lane Collective who will share his team's initial findings and initial ideas. Thank you Karen. Uh I wanted to extend my appreciation uh for uh NCPC and the partnership they put together. It continues to be an honor to explore this exciting project uh with all of the partners associated with the project. Um, as Karen made reference, uh, our project outline is here identified in red. I call your attention to, um, the air, the dashed areas, um, to the southeast. One on Fourth Street between buildings associated with the National Gallery of Art, and the other that extends, uh, to the peace memorial on the Capitol, which is under jurisdiction of the architect of the capital. I want to say that they both uh, entities have been extremely cooperative with us. um and uh are working in alignment and uh complementing the work that we're doing. Um I also want to acknowledge the fact that uh the red line is abhorrent to landscape architects like myself um who recognize that systems move in and out freely both sociologically, anthropologically and ecologically. So we tend to go beyond that and uh we've been having a good time um extending and pulling in aspects of adjacencies um into this project. We've been in a data gathering mode for this and have had many uh uh project partner technical meetings. These are meetings where staff from the associated agencies with oversight um have been joining us to discuss the challenges of the site. Our topics are listed here.

There are also many more and these meetings are ongoing. Um they happen uh bi-weekly uh throughout our our tenure on the project. I also want to acknowledge once again that we have many um stakeholders associated with the project um that we are working in collaboration with um in particular uh the National Gallery of Art, the Architect of the Capital and also the Military District of Washington who are in charge of the inaugural parade which proceeds up uh Pennsylvania Avenue and has very specific requirements associated with that. We are not starting from scratch. It's very important to understand that we have a lot of work that has taken place in advance and it is um a great starting point for for us. Um so um you know u many of these studies uh they have preceded us in our efforts. Um and in addition to that u we have been um building upon uh the work that was undertaken uh previously um uh the expert focus groups the three vision concepts and the public concepts or comments as well. I'll come back to the uh three vision concepts in just a second. In addition, we've had the uh great pleasure of uh working with adjacent properties, those who are um affected by um Pennsylvania Avenue and the north south quarters associated with that. We are under a mandate uh from ourselves to do no harm to anybody who is adjacent. We want to respect uh their ownership of property. We want to acknowledge the infrastructure associated with making them successful and we do not want to do anything that would be to the detriment of their own success. So we are really working with them and I believe Monday um we're actually having another meeting with uh uh um adjacency owners um the uh in addition uh we're coordinating with other public space projects um associated with the downtown uh area. Uh they're represented here. Uh

we are not working in isolation but in complement to all of these ongoing efforts for public space um uh review. Uh there are a few baseline conditions that are associated with the project. Uh we want to create an avenue uh that is welcoming and available to all Americans and visitors. Uh we want to retain the view corridors toward the US capital. those should pri be prioritized and we are utilizing uh the adjacent arborulture as framing devices associated with that. Um we also want to uh acknowledge that this will be a multimodal transportation uh avenue that includes pedestrians, cyclists, uh share vehicles, private vehicles that we will be working with uh loading and uh public and private buses, but also the pickups and drop offs associated um with the avenue uh and the success of the retail and commercial establishments uh adjacent. uh the uh Avenue is um uh host uh to many events. We want to respect that and actually increase the capacity of the avenue to um relieve some of the stress that is on the National Mall um for large events and to recognize that these events that we might host on the Avenue are anything from intimate farmers markets that might happen on a daily basis to um significant events that take up the entirety of the avenue itself. Um, and that is a broad range, but there is going to we're we're working hard to acknowledge that there will be infrastructure needs associated with that and that they would be in place to reduce operations and maintenance costs and the challenges associated with putting up a variety of uh events. The avenue is also hooked uh uh to the inaugural parade um that is overseen by the military district of Washington and they have very specific requirements um for the success of that uh event that takes place every four

years. Um and we are working uh diligently to ensure their success as well and that the plan should integrate north south connections. There are 35 million visitors that come to the National Mall every year and there's an opportunity to um stitch uh that experience into the downtown experience of Washington DC so that they are complimentary um and that the uh what is presently uh could be seen as an abyss in the breadth of the avenue um could be made to be very much more humane and habitable while still be being monumental. um therefore uh pulling uh people up to the the downtown and also in reverse and that there are existing retail spaces um along the way and they should be prioritized. Uh but they should uh the avenue itself should comprise a retail component that is in complement not in competition to the downtown's economic efforts. Um so we are working strategically with the downtown to ensure that type of um complimentary relationship. Um indeed uh we are pulling from past ideas. We are testing uh the concepts and are are pulling forward the best ideas from each of the iterations associated um with previous studies. Uh they are extraordinary studies. Um and we are building upon them pulling from them the best aspects of it. Um so uh we have acknowledged several assets that we think are important that the street itself should be multimodal uh but not a linear park per se or a transit only street um that the we should be prioritizing pedestrian prominade experiences though uh putting people at the center of the avenue would be very challenging. Um so we're trying to find other means by which to do that and that we're avoiding significant circulation changes to the eastern end. Previously they were acknowledged um uh as um the tunnel associated with uh uh

Constitution um and also going underneath the avenue uh or reverting Constitution Avenue back to its original alignment um which in it in its original format was causing significant traffic challenges. Um so we're going to do no harm there in the context of that in the current direction. Uh and based on the input from partners uh and senior leadership um we are um uh considering changes to the western end uh with an aspiration to not only maintain the first amendment rights uh but also uh establish uh better uh support for events both large and small um and uh those of daily use. We also want to celebrate the framed capital view um and shaded walk associated with that uh but diversify prospectively the canopy and the experiences associated with that. We also want to increase the accessibility and amenities um that make for a successful avenue. Um something wonderful happening every walking minute is the definition of a great street. Um and we uh aspire that this should be the great street and that we want to focus on the north south connections as I stated to stitch downtown uh to the mall um so that they are working in complement with each other. Um I want to uh acknowledge that these any any ideas that we have are are ideas still um they are in development. Nothing has been solidified. There is a lot of flexibility exploration that will continue to take place. Um but that the the work to date has focused on uh the general design, intent and testing for all of those um uh um elements that are listed here and many more. Um those are part of our um uh studies with the uh steering uh group. Um and uh that these uh ideas are tested across the breadth of the avenue. So, um, starting with

from the western end, new ideas for that, um, area, uh, the potential for expanding the northern sidewalk, um, ideas for Market Square and Indiana Avenue, as well as, um, new ideas for John Marshall Park, um, and in addition, uh, to that, uh, a capacity to change the breadth of the avenue. So, we're considering opportunities to expand the northern sidewalk um and uh exploring realignment of the cartways uh for cars and buses, the bike lanes and the sidewalk areas um to create an extraordinary experience along the length and breadth of the avenue. In the context of the existing conditions, the breadth of the avenue is represented here in two extremes. Um these are the bookends associated with that. the largest section being represented on the left, the narrowest on the right. Um, in all cases, uh, we're our goal is to give everyone the dramatic view towards the capital, not just cyclists who are presently at the center of the road. Um uh uh and also to do uh that uh safely so that everybody that wants to see the capital and experience that great and dramatic monumental view can do so without um uh risk. The components uh associated uh with the corridor include views and alignment as well as accessibility and as always uh the the recognition that the inaugural parade and other events have to be successful along the length of the avenue. That the roadway um is intended to be multimmodal transportation which includes travel lanes, cycle lane uh track, pedestrian spaces, bus stops, picks up pickups and drop offs as well. The sidewalks should um uh be experiential um along its length uh in

uh um comprised of different tree species and their placement and patterning uh predominating uh or creating shade in the context of a very warm climate during the summer particularly today. Um sidewalk programming opportunities, building access and activation events and support infrastructure as well as security and utilities. It is a very complex street. Um it beyond the cartways uh our aspiration would be to create a pedestrian travel zone that includes views to the capital. Um this is pulling forward ideas from the concepts uh integrating that notion of a pedestrian focused corridor but also uh accommodate multimmodal transportations beyond the cars and trucks to include uh buses and bike travel as well. that then um uh addresses or leaves uh the programmable programmable sidewalk spaces um on the north and south sides um and as well as uh the need along the uh area of the federal triangle to recognize um security and security buffers associated with that which should be integrated in a manner that is um uh capable without being fortified right so that it reads seamlessly in the context of the urban environment There are three significant rooms along the length of the avenue. Here represented by the western end which is comprised of the World War I Memorial and Persing Park as well as Freedom Plaza. In the middle by Market Square uh which holds the Navy Memorial and Indiana Avenue. And then at the eastern end, John Marshall Park and Const um at Constitution and the fourth street uh which moves north south uh from uh the mall to um the courthouse. I want to call your attention to the eastern end and the middle as well because uh what's fascinating about this

space of u the US Navy memorial and market square uh and its adjacency with Indiana Avenue the remnant of that avenue um and John Marshall Park is that um these can be considered uh a holistic uh of holistic interest um that they should not be designed as two parts of the avenue and its adjacency but recognize that they can complement each other um support each other and offer opportunities to scale up or scale down the experiences that people have along the avenue. Um in addition um particularly at market square uh this is where the city uh tends to engage very specifically the federal construct of the avenue. It's where we have the most number of residents um presently although that is growing. Um and so recognizing um an an opportunity to uh create a room holistically in the market square area here outlined in black, but also a recognition that this is the gateway to downtown. Um that there um is an opportunity to extend our influence all the way down to the Hershorn and beyond and north up to the portrait gallery as well. um uh stitch together uh John Marshall Park across C and D streets and Indiana Avenue um to ensure that this is truly um uh a living breathing connective tissue of the city. Uh just to uh remind you this is the existing conditions of that particular area. At the center of the focus here is John Marshall Park and these are the existing conditions of the park. Um the image on the upper right uh uh I'm standing at Pennsylvania Avenue looking up towards the courtyard as an extraordinary facade, but you'll see also an extent of

lawn and uh uh mature trees. Um and at the lower uh right uh you can see uh midway up to the courouses um that expansive lawn that leads down fourth uh street uh beyond uh the national gallery. We have an opportunity here to uh really create a living thriving park. Uh it is uh an opportunity to increase its programming to utilize the uh mature trees uh to insert uh daily life programming but also recognize that it could be used on more heraldic events and greater civic events um in the context of the expanded lawn in the north south corridor. It's also uh an area of of changing topography. It rises as you go north. So, it makes it easier to either see something somebody performing in the distance. Either way, whether you're uh to the north or to the south, where a stage might be um set up, uh it increases the capacity for people to see. One of our precedent studies of many uh is uh Bryant Park in New York City. Um if you know this park, it is a traditional Bozarts park. It has a formality not unlike uh John Marshall Park. Uh it also has an expansive lawn that's used for flexible programming from movie nights and performances to just the daily life of urban living. Um and underneath the sycamore trees that surround the park there are assorted program elements that are there on a daily basis. Everything from a reading library to a carousel to botchi courts. Um these are the things that enhance uh daily living in an urban context and have a great opportunity to show themselves in the context of John Marshall as well. Now we're moving to um uh market square. These are the existing conditions associated with that. Uh you can identify the globe that is the Navy memorial. You'll see the archives on the lower left um uh uh along the length of 8th Street and Indiana Avenue as well.

And it's again I want to point out the relationship of this space in the context of Pennsylvania Avenue and its relationship to the east uh with John Marshall. So, Market Square um also has uh uh varied assets associated with its existing conditions. The memorial is represented in the upper left uh drawing. You can see in the distance the portrait gallery, that uh uh wonderful facade. Um if I were to turn around in that photograph and look across the street, you see the facade of the archives talking back to it. Um, so it's one of those corridors that we really should be um thinking strategically about both for its value as adjacency to Pennsylvania Avenue, but it's also its value to the downtown um as an extraordinary street. On the lower right, um uh uh in addition to the memorial that you just uh heard earlier on uh with the Texas Texas litigation, um uh you can see uh Indiana Avenue um and its expanse. uh important here is the vision of uh the Washington Monument uh in the distance uh that uh uh beyond the federal triangle buildings. So this room that we're trying to construct uh that marks uh the uh uh area is uh really meant to be thought of comprehensively um as one great space though comprised of many different experiences and it is as I said the overlap between this great monumental federal gesture and daily living associated with the downtown. Um that's where we see an opportunity to engage Indiana Avenue um uh in its capacity to have flexible programming but as well the capacity of Sea Street to be extended uh uh physically uh by walking uh to uh John Marshall um as well as the connections north south where seventh and eighth become integral to the

economic benefits of the downtown. We're uh looking to precedents. This one being uh Franklin Park, also in Washington DC. It's a 5acre park uh with um many different programming uh assets associated with it and a central fountain. Um but also want to remind ourselves that this is called Market Square because there used to be this substantial market historically in this area. Um and so um again this overlap between um um assets needed for living such as food and market elements and the capacity to engage the downtown and the residents associated with this really gives us an opportunity to create an environment that is both complex and enriching. And then to the west end uh the existing conditions seen here you'll see um Freedom Plaza uh uh here as well as the World War I Memorial Persing Park uh construct um Pennsylvania Avenue deflects here uh and um uh in many respects this becomes the terminus to the avenue. The existing conditions here are represented in photographs. You'll see Freedom Plaza in the upper left uh there uh a significant open space uh uh with views to the capital. Um also uh on the lower right uh the World War I memorial and Persing Park renovation um uh but that acts both as urban park and thoughtful memorial. There are many opportunities here that we're exploring. Um uh in particular um how this space uh will support uh great events associated with first amendments but also issues but also uh events of various scales associated with the avenue. Um and uh in addition um how the National Theater might be able to utilize this space more effectively um

as well as the Wilson building have its identity uh placed in this uh zone. So, uh, there are many ways in which we're thinking about, uh, the alignments, in particular, the north south connections that take advantage of, uh, using Wilson Plaza as a space that connects, uh, Pennsylvania Avenue back down, uh, to the National Mall and the Smithsonian Museums. One of the precedents that we've been looking at um, is of, uh, uh, comparable scale. Uh, it is in Paris, Plasta Republic. Um it is uh almost uh uh footto-foot uh the same dimensions um as Freedom Plaza. It is a space that uh has a central component in the form of a statue of the republic um uh and also a significant shade uh associated with the bosses of trees but enough paving to allow for significant events to take place here. It's where um the French protest uh and express their first amendment rights um just as we might do um at Freedom Plaza. It also has a pavilion and a skim fountain associated with play. Um these are images both of uh uh gatherings in that space. You can see how people are use that space. But on a daily basis uh it becomes this rich urban urbane condition dappled light extenses of extensive paving uh pavilions and and water. Um so the next steps for us uh include uh development of potential design alternatives in collaboration with these project partners. Again I want to express my sincere thanks to all of them. Uh it has been an extraordinary collaboration and continues to uh to to be such. um and also our collaborations with HRNA um and the implementation aspects of this. Uh we'll be moving

forward with the NEPA section 106 process uh anticipated uh for late 2025 um uh and we have a final plan documentation approval hopefully by late 26 early 27. So with that I'd like to extend it back to uh Karen. Great. Thank you David. And before we conclude, I want to share that in addition to this information presentation, we are hosting two online public briefings this month on June 12th and in June 24th. David and I will share the same presentation as we did today. And registration for these is um on our website at ncpc.gov. So, Madame Chair, that concludes our presentation and David and I are here for any questions. Thank you very much, Karen, and thank you, David. That was a breathtaking presentation and I will ask the commission now online or in person if you have any questions for the presenters today. Yes, Commissioner. Yes, Commissioner Posart. Thank you. Um so I'm curious Good to see you. Good to see you too. I'm curious about um the example you were just talking about the um plaster republic. Yes. um if you could talk about uh kind of the um all I can call them is security measures given that you know uh a lot of pedestrians and it's in the middle of a busy city. And then if you could kind of characterize what you're hearing from nearby property owners um at a high level that would be great. Sure. Um uh thank you for your question. Um and Karen, please step in if there's anything that I should uh miss. Uh what's uh fascinating about plastique um uh is uh that uh it has been established at grade in the context of its adjacencies. So it is a 6- in step up curb height um and it has a periphery of uh seating components and other

assets that act uh both for receiving the tush graciously but also uh for fortification. So the notion being that people can um inhabit the space, feel safe about it, uh that there is a visible fortification without being overwhelming. Um in addition to the north, and that's the image on the left, you can't quite see it there, but um there's actually a a Warner type of street, so it's accessible to the adjacent buildings. It expands the breadth of the uh that particular precedent to engage the adjacent sidewalk. Um the paving pattern continues. It is elevated to be contiguous with the adjacent plaza. Um but it is confined by a ballarded condition so that um slow cars will understand that it's a pedestrian forward space. Um owners. Okay. Sorry, was trying to remember the second question. Uh um we've actually had uh one uh significant public meeting uh with them. Uh this is uh actually my scratch is the red uh documentation. Um we've been uh in this particular case uh we called in folks uh essentially by block so that we could work uh they could meet their neighbors for one um that they would work with us um uh independently meaning that each owner had an opportunity to speak with us and express their concerns without their neighbors being present but also then in conjunction with their neighbors. so that um each could hear the other. Um the goal being that active listening on our part and with each other would facilitate commonality um towards success. Um we have work been working with them strategically to ensure as I said um that we would do no harm. The idea is either to leave things as they are or to improve them but never

to um purposefully um styy them in their ownership. Um so that's a very high level. Um I would say that we uh heard um also from uh uh apartment renters and build and um uh apartment owners um who uh particularly around the Navy memorial expressed their love of the dynamism and relative cacophony of the city but didn't want a lot of big events happening immediately in front of them. So that has also helped us frame where we what we think about John Marshall Park versus what we think about uh the Navy uh memorial area. So this is the nature of working in a very diverse urban context. Um active listening becomes incredibly important and threading that needle of design intent um so that everybody sees success. And I I would just add to that that we've been very grateful to the downtown DC bid for helping facilitate these conversations with the property owners. Our dialogue so far has really focused on operational requirements um verifying where they need to load and um where they need access to things like parking garages. And of course they will we will continue to be in dialogue with them as um direct properties on the avenue and important stakeholders but also during the public process they'll be invited to weigh in. Thank you very much. Thank you for the good question commissioner Kosart. Are there any other questions from commissioners online or in the in the chamber? Hearing none I'm we will move now onto discussion of this project. I'm going to start deliberations with Commissioner Stidum. Thank you. Um and and thank you for all of the hard work. Uh we have been participating and really um are quite proud of how things are moving along um

and the amount of consideration being made as part of the project. Um and uh you know in thinking about improvements to the city and the city becoming um a more beautiful space, you know, this really ties right into that. Um improving this as the, you know, America's main street as it's to be. You know, right now it's a little underwhelming, I'd say. Uh if you, you know, you hear all this hype about Pennsylvania Avenue and then you show up and you're just like, "Wow." Um okay, now where am I going? Um, so this really provides an opportunity to make this a great space again. Uh, so thank you for your efforts. Thank you, Commissioner Stadum. Commissioner Argo, I have no Yeah, I have no I have no additional questions. I think this is exciting. Um, and look forward to the continued development. I appreciate their um the attention uh that the team is um paying to um to a number of the aspects that they've that they um that they talked to us about today and um the consultation with uh with uh residents and neighbors as well. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Argo. Vice Chair Hulet, thank you. Um and thank you for the presentations. Uh this this is tremendously exciting. Um I echo the comments of my colleagues thus far. Uh I think it's you're balancing so many interests. So it's very complicated. That's very very clear. Yet you're doing it and I just hope to be around to see it all come to fruition. Thank you so much. You too. Thank you Vice Chair UI. Um and now we'll hear from Commissioner Tonstall Williams. Yes. Thank you for

the presentation and many of my comments are already reflected in here. So I would like to thank the um staff and the design team, all the consultants that have been a part of this for your sort of openness to hearing feedback. We've had very very robust um conversation with all the different stakeholders and your willingness to sort of respond to feedback when we when we push back and say, "Hey, what are you thinking?" Okay. and and honestly just your excitement and engagement and the the sense of awe maybe is the right word that you bring to this and I think that at the end of the day we'll have a really great project that I hope we can find some sort of implementing agency to put it into place but um the work has been tremendous and I look forward to continuing the dialogue. Thank you Commissioner Tontol Williams Commissioner Cash. Thanks so much. Um, I did love seeing the idea of creating more of a sidewalk space in front of the FBI headquarters. I remember that being controversial a few years ago about how much like sidewalk space we should really support versus how much more envelope we should have for the buildings there. So, um, it was great seeing that. Uh, I just want to say that that I think the presentation here was great and it's really focused on the design work, but I think that we also have to remember that a big part of this initiative as I remember it was supposed to be talking about the governance and that's one of the big problems that we have here. So, I know if anyone's been down. So, I went to the Jimmy Carter funeral. Um the processional that was down there, it was like you had to stand in line, go through security gate, you got onto the street, and the whole point of a lot of these big events that we do now, they put all the security fencing up and the priority is keeping all of those retail businesses open to the people outside of the the security perimeter, but as soon as you're inside, you're cut off because of some of the security concerns we have. And it seems like we always default to those security concerns being let's put up the fences, let's make you go through a checkpoint. Um, so moving forward with the governness, I think it's really important to look at how we can make some of these events kind of more open. Um, and I I think that your point about this being kind of an extension of what we can do on the mall is a great thing, but it's also I think Pennsylvania Avenue is just fundamentally a different thing. So, uh, this weekend for anyone that's going to

be down here, there's going to be the World Pride events going on, which is going to take up the whole Pennsylvania Avenue from third from third street all the way up to 9th Street. It's going to be mostly open, I think, but there is the some of the areas that are going to be fenced, like I said, but it's just a good demonstration of kind of like the more urban DC centric um what we can be doing on Pennsylvania Avenue that just wouldn't make as much sense on the mall. Um so, I think that that looking at governance issues, looking at at tying us into what already exists there, so that's not something that you'd have on the mall like the National Book Festival or something, but like something that's integrated into DC. I think that's one of the really great things about this initiative. So, um thanks for the ongoing work you've done and thanks for the presentation. Thank you very much, Commissioner Cash. Commissioner McGawan online. I don't have any comments, but thank you so much for the presentation. Thank you, Commissioner McGawan. Commissioner Kart, um really appreciate uh the presentation and um just NCPC's overall leadership as it relates to this. Um and want to associate myself uh with uh Commissioner Cash's comments and appreciate him for reminding us how important that is and that we really uh need to to start thinking about that. I do think that the what we have so far in terms of designs can kind of help inspire us for the harder things that we have to do around governance. So appreciate that very much. And I also just want to appreciate the chair's uh very inspiring comments about how important this is of an initiative. That's all I've got. Well, thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Kart, and um it is inspiring work and I do want to thank um our staff, Karen, and and thank our our partners. Thank you very much uh Mr. Rubin. This is um the beginning of a a long journey as was just pointed out because I do want to associate myself with Mr. Cash, Miss Koserit's um comments as well because you do forget about the hard work of integrating real events that occur in places like Washington DC and the kinds of security measures that are t have take taken place and and having attended

some of those myself, I would agree that that's next. But right now, I just want to congratulate you on the work and on the vision and the excitement, I do think this integration is critically important. And while it is important to the mall, I I'm really glad you're working with bid and working with uh you know all the partners that are working in this project because to be able to integrate that I was just in town I don't know a couple weeks ago and again looked at that whole market square view myself and thought gosh what a great place to have a market you know and real active an active space and activated space and there's so many little places you can go that would incorporate more of uh downtown DC into into that avenue. So, I I'm excited about the the whole damn thing. Um I think um you know there's a lot of work ahead but there's so much excitement and now you know if you go to the Sean Sal you say you have arrived, you're there, you know I'm here. Um and it would be great to be able to say that when you're on Pennsylvania Avenue and not be in a cab, you know, or a car to be able to say we're here and and feel that sense of arrival in that very special place. So um looking forward to the work ahead. Um and again want to congratulate you know general services administration and the national park service the district fence DC and bid and all the partners that are working on this and we'll find the money somehow but thank you very much for your work and our last agenda item um we're going to have another information presentation. This is a fun meeting on the changing federal footprint. And so we have Melissa Lynch who's presenting today um on this um changing federal footprint. And this too is a very exciting opportunity. There's these both these two projects are just so inspiring and and it's really we're looking forward to it. So Melissa, um did you want to introduce your team now or at the end of your uh part of your presentation? I'm going to do it at the

beginning and then at the end actually. Okay. All right. Okay, let's proceed. So, thank you. So, good afternoon, chair and commissioners. I'm happy to share an update on the changing federal footprint project. Last summer, NCPC partnered with Public Buildings Reform Board, PBRB, to jointly study the opportunities to consolidate, redevelop, and dispose of federal properties adjacent to the National Mall and understand the impacts of a changing federal footprint in Washington DC as part of the changing federal footprint project. This is a preliminary map of opportunity properties and areas that were analyzed last year. PBRB is an independent federal agency tasked to identify opportunities for the federal government to significantly reduce its inventory of civilian real property and reduce costs. First, I'd like to introduce Paul Walden, PBRB's executive director, to say a few words before my presentation. Thank you, Melissa, and uh good afternoon, commission. My honor to be here again, Paul Walden. I'm the executive director of the public building reform board. Um, and we are, uh, just so you understand, we were established by special legislation in 2016, and we are tasked, as Melissa said, to identify underutilized properties that can be sold or consolidated to reduce the overall cost the American taxpayer. And evidently Congress is very appreciative of our work because uh just recently they extended us to another a year and a half. We were supposed to sunset last month but uh Congress has has um demonstrated their great faith in us to do another round of recommendations. Um and one thing I always like to make clear uh the board is um an independent commission essentially u we are not involved in making decisions on terminating any agency missions uh reductions of personnel or moving

agencies out of DC. Uh we're an independent bipartisan board of six uh people appointed by the president with a very diverse background in uh congressional leadership. uh agency administration and private sector real estate. And the recommendations we've made to date, we have um a strong financial feasibility analysis supporting those decisions and they're also feasible in terms of agency relocations. And our last round of recommendations, which were just approved by OM two weeks ago, uh identified 11 properties. Uh three of them are up there on the map. uh but overall they'll result in $5.4 billion in savings to the taxpayer. And last year when we started looking at the NCR portfolio portfolio in particular, we realized there's a a perfect timing now with the uh real estate market conditions as they were and the fact that a lot of these buildings were vastly underutilized to actually look at you know repurposing some of these buildings, putting them back on the tax roles and reducing the overall government cost. So uh the board you know we are not urban planners but we we look to the experts who are NCPC to sort of look at what we can do to sort of u uh review the potential of some of these sites and also through our partnership with HRNA to what sort of governance structure would continue our work once we do sunset in December of next year. So as a result, NCPC brought in the Urban Land Institute to conduct a TAP study and which the results were briefed just a couple of weeks ago and we received I think a very resounding uh

positive response from the media from all the articles I've seen and all the phone calls I've received. So there's a lot of interest in what we're doing and again we looked at the Forest Hall building as really being that keystone to sort of uh re-energize that southwest area. And again, thanks to Mr. Aosta and his staff for supporting us, and we look to a look forward to a continued partnership with MCPC. Thank you. Thank you, Paul. The scale of dispositions in this area south of the mall that have been discussed over the last eight months is unprecedented as shown on the map. It presents an enormous opportunity for the nation's capital and Washington DC. In 2024, PBRB and NCPC began meeting to understand how both of our interests and goals could come together. The partnership, as Paul mentioned, um began working with the Luran Urban Land Institute of Washington, ULI. ULI Washington brings access to thought leadership and impartial and marketdriven feedback from the private sector. Together, we outline the following. host a series of focus group discussions, a technical assistance panel tab, and a public forum around the topic changing the federal footprint. This all helped inform PBRB's second round of submission, which did include the Forest Hill building, as Paul mentioned, for disposition, and OM has now accepted. Let me share a little bit more on these key events over the last year and how they implement planning work that NCPC has done in this area. ULI Washington in partnership with NCPC and PBRB organized a series of four focus groups in November of 2024 with key stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Each group focused on one of four topics related to the changing federal footprint in the national capital region. Economic development, identification of potential opportunity sites and new catalysts. Historic preservation, open space, infrastructure needs, implementation strategies, and managing organizational structure. Four

themes came from the discussions over the two days listed here on the screen. I'd like to emphasize the first one. There must be a phase disposition schedule for federal properties. NCPC has advocated for dramatic changes to this area south of the National Mall for decades. One key example is NCPC's southwest eco district plan from 2013 which guides property disposal, reuse, redevelopment and infrastructure planning. A vision of south of Independence Avenue is shown on the top left image. The lynch pin to implementing this vision is the James fe forestall building also known as the US Department of Energy DOE headquarters or the forestall complex. PBRB and NCPC made a very deliberate decision to focus the tap on the forestall complex and sponsor this tap to connect ongoing planning studies in southwest Washington with efforts to identify federal assets for disposal. In February 2025, ULI assembled a tap to develop a road map for redevelopment of the Forestall building shown in the bottom left image. The Forestall Complex is a three-building brutalistic structure constructed in 1969 at 1000 Independence Avenue Southwest. It's outlined in green on the map on the right side of the screen. The Forestall Complex has 1.8 million rentable square feet and sits on 11 acres. Lefont Plaza or 10th Street Southwest bisects the study area terminating to the north at Independence Avenue Southwest and the Smithsonian Council and to the south at Banaker Park overlooking the Southwest waterfront. During the first day, the panelists received the assignment, took a tour of the building and surrounding area, had stakeholder group discussions, and then worked together to come up with a strategy, which they presented the end of day two. The sponsor team presented the panel with a briefing book that gave them background information as well as the TAP goals and key questions to consider.

The TAP goals shown here focus on making sure what they produced was financially viable, have a flexible timeline, identified key stakeholders, and made sure the redevelopment could unlock additional redevelopment within the monumental core. To achieve the TAP goals, the panelists also had some questions to answer to help formulate their plan and strategy. The goals and questions came mostly from discussions that happened in the fall with the focus groups. We really wanted to make sure that everything analyzed was data driven and helped achieve goals from all stakeholders. Speaking of stakeholders, this is a comprehensive list of stakeholders that were engaged with during the tap. Again, wanting to get the full picture of what could happen with this site. The panel shown in the photo here recognized that the study area presents a unique and timely opportunity to become a gateway between the southwest waterfront and the National Mall. With realization of the opportunity hinging on the redevelopment of the Forest Doll building to guide its deliberations, the panel first created a road map of five major activities that would be required to fully maximize the redevelopment potential of the Forestall building and its surrounding submarket. You can see them listed on the screen and now I'll walk through the five. The panel discussed four options for the DOE headquarters. Option one, status quo, keeping DOE in place. The panel rejected this option as have PBRB and the White House in their recent approvals to sell the building. Option two, constructing a new headquarters and this was deemed too costly and not necessary given the amount of unused office space uh on the market and also in the federal inventory. Option three and option four, relocating to existing federal space or lease space were seen as viable options. These have the potential to provide long-term cost savings to taxpayers and provide modern and efficient spaces for DOE

employees. Next, the panel looked at the site potential and making it a gateway to the waterfront. The panel recommended a coordinating entity to champion the redevelopment of the forestall complex and the adjacent areas in the southwest with a key focus on guiding the disposition and redevelopment process of federal assets. This entity does not necessarily have to be a new agency or authority. The panel also recommends anou with expectations and agreements for development. There are several issues to address in determining the site potential as listed on the screen, including identifying desired cultural uses, infrastructure needs, Virginia Avenue question, which I'll touch on later, and resolving inflated assessments. Also listed are the key stakeholders that would need to be involved in the process. I wanted to share that during the winter, NCPC had Perkins and Will work on renderings of a re-imagined area south of the National Mall. The renderings build on past planning efforts and will be updated as additional planning for the area takes place. As the previous slide discussed, there will be some topics that will need to be resolved during theou and entitlement process. One of them being infrastructure needs and expanding the right of way. This rendering showcases public space along the extended sea street southwest rightaway from 10th Street looking west from the forest all building currently where the cafeteria sits. The next stop on the road map is the transaction and redevelopment. The panel recognized that one possibility would be to dive divest at least a portion of the site for public benefit users including cultural institutions such as the Smithsonian health care organizations, universities or nonprofits. The panel recommended that the intended public benefit user be identified during the pre-isposition process. Uh based on prior studies, the panel

proposed a redevelopment program for the Forestall complex totaling 3.7 million square feet with uses likely to succeed based on current market factors. As you see on the graphic, the redevelopment would consist of residential, museum, cultural, hotel, office, and retail. The panel recognized there is a possibility that redevelopment of the forestall complex into a 3.7 million square feet mixeduse project is not financially viable on its own as a variety of factors as listed on the screen can escalate costs beyond the level that the project can work or be viable without public financing assistance. The redevelopment efforts could potentially be financed publicly with the district government or the federal government or with the use of creative financing tools or a combination of funding sources. The panel also looked at new versus conversions as well and determined that the existing building does not fully occupy the site and the current layout of the building does not work well for residential. So, conversion is not viable. The panel also looked at the northwest corner of the site um as basis for much of their analysis. The last stop on the road map answered the question, what will be the catalytic impact? Based on the panel's proposed redevelopment program, it projected the forestall complex would contribute 45.3 million in annual tax revenue at full buildout. The panel compared the site and study area to the capital riverfront bid as it presents many similarities and they had access to the data around that. Once the forestall uh complex is redeveloped, the panel anticipated an impact on development in southwest including the disposition and redevelopment of other federal assets resulting in a net increase of 1.9 million square feet and 150.9 million in new tax revenue.

On May 22nd, ULI Washington with NCPC and PBRB hosted a public forum for over 200 people who gathered on top of the spy museum with views of the forestall building. Norman Dong moderated the event where three of the panelists presented the findings of the tap and then had a catalytic impact discussion with NCPC's Diane Sullivan, Steve Moore with the Southwest Bid, and consultant Andrew Tublood, former DC planning director. The TAP report was also released that day and you can find the full report on our website at ncpc.gov. One of the main discussion points at the public forum was the uncertainty regarding which streets need to be reintroduced and this impacts the overall value of development. For example, the panel debated whether the value of reintroducing Virginia Avenue as shown on the plans on the left side of this uh slide. And then ultimately the panel thought um the impact of development by square footage was too great and supported a plan similar on the right side without Virginia Avenue. This issue and questions regarding historic preservation will need to be addressed for all of the sites the federal government is planning on selling. This is a rendering showing the potential if Virginia Avenue were to be introduced and what the gateway and viewed would look like. Washington is extremely fortunate to have in such incredible viewsheds from the Leafant plan, but we also need to have discussions about what is feasible. Lastly, the panel recommended developing an updated vision plan for the Southwest planning um area that builds upon the NCPC's Southwest Eco District plan. In terms of next steps, NCPC is excited to move quickly with local and federal partners to better determine property entitlements for land and buildings that the federal government wants to dispose of in southwest DC, creating certainty and maximizing value for the federal government and also ensuring that the

private redevelopment of federally disposed land south of the National Mall and directly across the street from the National Mall is of the highest quality and respectful of its location in the heart of the nation's capital. This rendering is showing how the 10th Street transformation could really connect the waterfront to the mall. As I said at the beginning of my presentation, NCPC has advocated for dramatic changes to the area south of the National Mall for decades, and we're excited to be working with our federal partners in the district to make this area a place where people want to visit and live. This partnership with PBRB and ULI Washington was very successful. And I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Gail Fischer from PBRB, Margazda with ULI Washington, and Will Rich from Calvary Real Estate Advisors, as well as the NCPC team. Thank you. And with that, I would like to invite Norman Dong, the panel chair, to say a few words. Norman has experience not only in the private sector real estate, but also served as commissioner for GSA's public building service and an OMB as a controller. Norman also serves as the chair of the Federal Real Property Association. Thank you, Norm. Afternoon everyone. Good afternoon madam chair, members of the commission. I am thrilled to be here. Uh first I wanted to start just by expressing my gratitude and appreciation to NCP NCPC and the PBRB for sponsoring the ULI tap on the farall building. Um, as you saw and for those of you who are with us at the public forum, we had a great group of panelists including Katie Crystal and Josh Olsen and Vicky Davis. And for anybody who knows those folks, you can you know that they bring a significant amount of energy and enthusiasm as well as subject matter expertise uh to the conversation. And as Melissa was saying, our charge was to consider the redevelopment potential of the Forestall

site. Um, and it really is where we are today. You've got to step back and think about kind of this moment in time because we've been having this conversation about what to do with the farest cell building for a while now, right? I think it began uh with the southwest eco district plan back in 2013. Um, and even as recently as last year, Diane and I were on a panel, uh, over at the Arena stage kind of thinking about, all right, why are we not moving forward on issues like the Forestall building? What can we do to get the federal government to be more proactive in disposing of some of these underutilized federal assets? Um, and here we are today and the world has changed dramatically over the past 12 months. Um, there's been a lot of conversation, a lot in the news about how this administration uh has got a little bit more spring in their step in terms on this issue of underutilized federal buildings. And you're seeing examples of GSA moving far more assertively on this question to dispose of underutilized assets. So the panel was charged was not just looking at the forestall site and the redevelop redevelopment potential of those 11 acres but really considering the question of how forestall can serve as a proof of concept for redeveloping other underutilized properties particularly in southwest DC. And for us and for all of us, it really is thinking about, okay, how do we maximize the redevelopment potential of Forestall, but also how do we capitalize on this opportunity to have much more of a neighborhood transformation

impact? Um, so we think about the two days that we spent together as a panel. Job one for us was to think about what you do with the Department of Energy headquarters. And I think as you look back at the conversations that we've been having for more than a decade on redeveloping the Forestall site, the conversation has largely gone nowhere because we could never figure out what to do with the Department of Energy. Um, and the conversation would often go to, well, you need to get Congress to appropriate a lot of money to build a new Department of Energy headquarters. And when you think about what that would cost, anywhere between 750 million to a billion dollars, that becomes a showstopper. And you think about how difficult it is for the federal government to get capital funds to renovate and modernize any of the buildings that we see here in the national capital region. And then when you talk about the FBI headquarters and what that costs, then you talk about, okay, we need another billion dollars for the Department of Energy, we don't live in that world where Congress is appropriating billions of dollars for new federal buildings or to modernize and upgrade existing federal buildings. So, we had to take much more of a practical approach to say, all right, if you've got to live within your existing budget, what do you do to solve this problem? So, as Melissa talked about, uh, we looked at four different options. Status quo was not an option. Uh, constructing a new smaller facility we looked at, but again, that comes with a big price tag as well. So, then we looked at two other options. One was relocating to existing federally owned buildings, and there's been a lot of conversation about how these federally owned buildings are

significantly underutilized. Um, and then we also talked about potentially moving to a a lease and I think the Department of Transportation, uh, the Security and Exchange Commission, those are examples of cabinet entities, independent agencies that are in not own space, but lease space. So, I think the precedent has been set where not every agency has to be in a federally owned building. So, we thought, wait, maybe we could do that uh, as well. And granted, when you look at the existing lease inventory in Washington DC, you don't have a single large block of space that could handle the entire Department of Energy requirement, but you could split it up. And I think we've seen examples with the Department of Justice, for example, where you don't have to put everybody in one building. You can spread them uh different functions in different buildings, and it makes it an easier space problem to resolve. So I think the headline for us is if you have to live within existing budget constraints, there are ways to solve for this headquarters requirement that we may not have fully recognized in the past. And if we're serious about redeveloping the forestal site, then we're going to take a closer look and give more serious consideration to those other options. Okay. So as I said, it's not just about redeveloping the Forestall site. it really is achieving the full potential of what we what Southwest DC can and should be. Um, and as we look at the properties that are slated for disposition in Southwest DC, you've got the HUD headquarters, you've got the Liberty Loan Building, you've got the Wilbur Cohen building, you've got the former regional headquarters for GSA at 3017th Street Southwest. got like five different buildings that have already

been slated for disposal. How do we avoid a situation where GSA is just really just dumping these properties on the market? And I think there was consensus among us that we want a thoughtful redevelopment plan that sequences the redevelopment of these sites over time. and we kind of look back to the past and we saw Southeast Federal Center as being kind of a model for what we might want to do here. So, as we think about kind of the path forward, a there's some planning activities and Melissa talked about kind of the planning work between NCPC and the DC office of planning that has already begun here, but I think there's also a conversation with GSA that needs to take place where you're looking at the proposed vision and the proposed reuse of these sites and you're thinking about potential transaction structures that might make sense here that would allow for a thoughtful development sequence over time. There's been a lot of conversation about disposition and focus on selling the property. Well, maybe we could do that, but maybe there are other transaction structures like a ground lease, for example. There are examples where the federal government didn't sell a property but did a ground lease instead or or some other transfer of administrative control that may allow for a more thoughtful holistic approach to sequence the redevelopment of these properties over time and to maximize the neighborhood transformation potential and impact as we saw on the capital riverfront with the southeast federal center. So, I think we've got a clear path forward uh on the planning side and on the federal engagement aside. And again, think about where we are today. I think it really

is should take a moment to celebrate the progress that has been made. Some of us were a little bit doubtful of whether we'd ever get here in our lifetime, but I think, you know, I'm feeling energized and inspired in terms of where we are today and where this could go. So, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much, Norm. and appreciate your input and also thank you Paul and thank you as well. We really appreciate everything that that you've done Melissa on this project and all the um work that's gone into it with our partners. So with that I'm going to ask are there any questions for our speakers now from the commissioners online or in person? Any questions? hearing none. We're going to move on then uh with deliberations and I'm going to begin with Commissioner Tonstall Williams. Okay. Um well, I've had sort of a a front row seat for all of this for many many years and agree with Norm that there's been a lot of conversation and everyone's focused on this forest all site. And I will say when we started this back in the fall, I didn't I don't think any of us could have imagined the um momentum that this would take on with with the current administration. And so I think that that is great and to to PVRB's great credit to continuing to push it. I still have great concern that the complexity of getting particularly the Department of Energy out of that site in a timely manner to allow the momentum to keep going. I think I I'm very concerned about that. Um, I'm also concerned about the the huge infrastructure cost that it will take to remove the building and prepare those parcels for development. So, I think to the extent that PBRB can continue to push and NCPC to build those connections, the district, this is going to take everyone to make this happen. And I think right now we are at this

critical point um that the momentum is there and I don't want to lose it. So, what what all all of us how we can partner to move that forward is good. I do also have concern as NM said a lot of the other buildings that we're talking about are moving faster than this one and I worry that if it if they get too far ahead there could be a glut and then the interest in the forest all site might um diminish. Um, so I think that the phasing is very important and so the advocacy that you can do with GSA leadership, certainly way above me, um, are is important because I I think the the long-term impacts on the district and the the partnership that GSA can bring shouldn't be detrimental if we get too far ahead. So looking to everyone to kind of support those efforts, but otherwise, I think I think it's a great project. I I look forward to fingers crossed something actually happening. Thank you very much. Um, Commissioner Tonstall Williams. Commissioner Cash, please. Hey, thanks. Um, so I mean, one of the things I think we forget about sometimes is whenever the Smithsonian comes here to talk to us about a new museum site, we bang our heads against this deis for days and days and days saying, "Why do you want to take this piece of land? We will give them empty land for free, but when it comes to something like one of these buildings, they have to pay for it and all this stuff." So, I mean, if there's any way we can come up with some some new regime where anything north of Sea Street, it's just an automatic. We're going to give it to the Smithsonian. If we're going to extend them all, we're going to modify the eco district to bring them all down there and get them all the space they will ever need. Um, so I think the economics, especially what's going on in DC right now, I mean, we're not going to build another wararf. We're not going to build another capital riverfront down there. We don't have enough like commercial office space right now to support what we need here. So, um I think in light of a lot of what's gone on the last year that and in light of the Smithsonian coming to us every couple of years for a new museum and us just going crazy. I think that there's a tremendous opportunity. We didn't talk about agriculture yet, but especially right there on the mall, but I mean extending that mall down. I think that there's a tremendous opportunity if we can get out of the the mindset of we're

selling this building like it's a commercial development project. This is already federal land. We have a lot of uses for it down there. So I think that the changing the paradigm down there and really I know you're partnering with Smithsonian but but see if we can do it to even more of an extent and solve their problems for the next hundred years. I think that that's a tremendous opportunity that we could miss if we think about this in too much of a a market driven economic. So uh that's my two cents but I really thank the team for all the work that's been going on this. I think it's it's really exciting regardless to reimagine these large swasts of DC land and what what could become of it if if we kind of uh taper it down to the federal interest. So thanks. Thank you very much Commissioner Cash. Um, Commissioner McGawan, I have no questions. Thank you for the presentation. Thank you, Commissioner McGowan. Commissioner Kosart, um, thanks for the presentation. I really thank the NCPC team because this has been, you all have had to shift very much like a conversation about the federal footprint, you know, 18 months ago was completely different and the things that we were looking at were completely different. So appreciate how entrepreneurial you all have been and kind of building partnerships and both entrepreneurial and also strategic. So uh appreciate that and I too am hopeful that this uh the what came out of the tap can be a blueprint and really appreciate the support for the kind of phase disposition approach and strategy that is really really important to the district and so uh appreciate alignment and consensus around that. Thank you Commissioner Kosart. Um, Commissioner Stidum, uh, I cannot agree with Commissioner Cash more. Um, every memorial sponsor that I work with, I pitch this area. No one will bite. They can't see a vision. They can't be the first ones to take that leap. Um, so having this study that shows the potential and the potential for the building to change or move and open up the extension of the mall with the

commemorative works acts and the the reserve being complete. We need to extend them all and this is an opportunity and it's a space for Smithsonian. It's a space for memorial sponsors. It can be a great connection. We just need someone to see that vision and take the chance. And I know any Memorial sponsor that is listening is like tired of hearing me say this, but it is a huge opportunity and it's a great space. Um, so really appreciate this work. Um, and showing a vision and the potential. I think it goes a long way and hopefully we'll continue that momentum. So, thank you. Thank you, Commissioner STDM. Commissioner Argo, are you still online? I'm coming. Here I am. Okay, we're here. I I appreciate very much that uh the presentation. I'm I'm and I would I love um Commissioner Stidum's comments and um would align myself with them. Um and you know it's it's not just a matter of vision. It's a matter of um resources and logistics and um I I I just hope we you know I don't know how much we can be a part of it but I hope the you know we can move the forces together to make some of the things happen um that we were provided with today that you know the vision and the opportunity. Thank you. Thank you um very much Commissioner Argo, Vice Chair Hill. Yes, thank you so very much for the presentation, Miss Lyncho and um Mr. Don and Mr. Wallen. Um appreciate it and for

our NCPC team for working so very hard on this. Um I too would like to associate myself with the comments of Commissioner Cash and uh Commissioner Stadum um about the museums, the Smithsonian museums and it's referenced in the report from the February tap report from February of 2025. I understand that there may the concern was the market value the market value to some extent and um but that can be waved perhaps um but it just makes sense. It just makes sense. You're so right that they um the Smithsonian comes to us on a regular basis. There's a new museum proposed, a new museum proposed, and they're all worthwhile, but we're so limited on the space. And this this is opportunity knocking, and I think we should find a way to seize it. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Chair Hullet. And I just want to thank again NCPC staff. Thank you very much. Melissa, all thank you for bringing your partnership. and Norm, thank you for bringing your expertise. I mean, for continuing to contribute to this place we call the capital, and it's a it's a big job. I also want to recognize Marcel because it was months and months ago when Marcel first suggested to me your leadership is um and your you're you're just invaluable. I just want to say that Marcel, we don't ever thank you for a hell of a a great job you do, but you said, "Look at this building." building and I said, "Oh, I know this building." Because we come and visit Department of Energy every year and it's it's kind of a nightmare building of all the buildings. It's one one of a few, I will say, in terms of the interface that the the person coming to the building has, you know, their top secret floors on the top and they're you're running around in these hallways that look like a labyrinth out of um the Matrix, you know, and it really is um it's time to go. and the space and the real estate is so powerfully um located and situated

for other purposes. Um so I guess with every new administration there are uh new blessings and new challenges and this one this new administration is not without those and certainly um um the opportunity is there. I think, you know, we have to find those opportunities, you know, to to see a path forward to reuse this space and to perhaps um do something different in that location. And um it it finds its a similarity, this plan, I think, to the Pennsylvania Avenue plan in that it's trying to bring this all together to incorporate downtown into Pennsylvania Avenue and all these other nodes and opportunities. But the same for the um that beautiful that beautiful visual we have of a of a viewshed that could be you know what what the forest all building blocks right now um in into in you know into to the warf but also to the Smithsonian capital that is just that's another powerful node that I think can be redeveloped now I have to say that commissioner stdum or yes commissioner tontol williams brings me right down to reality And I think that's, you know, um, so no, no, but, you know, you work with it every day. It's like you're you're living and breathing it. So I, you know, I don't know what the answers are, but I hope, as we talked about again many times in our strategic planning as a commission that that NCPC with its partners, not alone, but with our partners could be thought leaders on some of these areas. And there's no better time than now in America to be thought leaders. And I think that that's you know it's a possibility now perhaps but at the same time it's not going to come without hard work. So we should try is my opinion. So I just again want to thank all of those who participated and and and look at this as an opportunity for a generational re-evaluation reinvisioning of the capital city. And so I'm just um grateful to all of those

who took part in this. I'm grateful especially Marcel for your leadership because I know that you've been looking at this um and imagining things for some time. So with that, are there any further comments or questions? Hearing none, uh this concludes our open session for for June. And our next regular commission meeting will be July I'm sorry, will be Thursday, July 10th. So not on the fourth weekend week of the 4th. It's going to be on July 10th at 100 p.m. Um, and August is our month off. So, we have a big meeting, I'm sure, that was planned for us to end next month, but we'll be ready. So, thank you all. And if there's no further business, this meeting stands adjourned.