The western campus of St. Elizabeths is where DHS is headquartered.
WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security is seeking an emergency demolition of historic buildings in the nation’s capital.
The Washington Post first reported this development, citing documents it obtained. The DHS verified the authenticity of a memo in response to a request from The Epoch Times.
The department is looking to tear down dozens of buildings on the St. Elizabeths campus. DHS is looking to tear down vacant buildings on the property’s west campus, where the DHS is headquartered. The east campus is an active mental health facility. St. Elizabeths used to be known as the “Government Hospital for the Insane.”
In a statement to The Epoch Times, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that the buildings need to be torn down for security reasons.
“This is about safety,“ she said. ”DHS security and safety assessments have determined that these dilapidated, vacant buildings on the DHS campus pose unacceptable safety, security, and emergency-response risks.”McLaughlin explained why the buildings pose a security risk.
“Several of these structures cannot be safely accessed or cleared by law enforcement or first responders, creating security blind spots adjacent to senior leadership and critical operations. Demolition is the only permanent corrective action that eliminates these,” she said.
“The emergency determination is based on current safety and security conditions and is supported by DHS law enforcement and security professionals,” continued McLaughlin. “The department’s priority is protecting personnel, leadership, and mission operations.”In an assessment, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the vacant buildings “may be accessed by unauthorized individuals seeking to cause harm to personnel” and they “provide a tactical advantage for carrying out small arms or active shooter scenarios.”
The General Services Administration informed District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser of the demolition plan on Dec. 23.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the D.C. Preservation League oppose the proposed demolition.
