St. Elizabeths Plans Unveiled
27 10 2008The District has taken another step towards the major redevelopment plan for the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus in Southeast. The newly announced plan uses the already discussed move of the new Department of Homeland Security HQ to the empty boarded up mental hospital to promote development and bring in businesses.
The District seeks to build a mix of offices, restaurants and shops to create a town square-style center, which would draw business from the new workers and residents who live nearby. The eventual developments could total over 3 million in space by the time the plan is fully built out.
A lot of credit for the project goes to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton who has been a champion for development south of the Anacostia for years. When we spoke with the Congresswomen back in June, this was one of the projects she said she was most excited about… and we can’t help but be excited too!
[Photo: Goldmember]
Exactly how is this going to bring economic development to SE? How exactly is the government’s most paranoid agencies going to allow or encourage a “town square-style center”? What town square has checkpoints, barricades and metal detectors?
How is moving DHS to a largely transit-inaccessible area good planning?
I believe the plan is to build a new station since the property is directly above the green line tunnel. Also, this development is separate from the DHS. this is on the eastern half of St. Elizabeths, I believe, and will include a mix of offices, residential, and retail. Although I would bet many employees at DHS would come out for lunch…
the simple fact is, with a department like “homeland security” moving in there, the place will become akin to a castle surrounded by a moat. it won’t be community friendly, i’ll guarantee that. the suburban workers will drive in in the morning, causing choking traffic, then drive back home at night. they won’t leave the compound for much of anything, and people thinking otherwise are being too damn optimistic.
i hate to be a downer, but DHS moving here is just a terrible idea!