[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 113 (Monday, June 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36814-36815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14734]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 113 / Monday, June 12, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 36814]]



GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Notice of the Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and Notice of Public Hearing on the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for a Proposed Department of Transportation 
Headquarters

AGENCY: National Capital Region; General Services Administration, 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Proposed lease acquisition of a new or renovated headquarters 
for the Department of Transportation in the Central Employment Area of 
Washington, DC.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The General Services Administration (GSA) announces the 
availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) 
for the proposed lease acquisition of a new or renovated headquarters 
for the Department of Transportation (DOT) in the Central Employment 
Area (CEA) of Washington, DC. GSA also announces that a public hearing 
on the Draft EIS will be held on July 12, 2000.

Background Information

    DOT seeks to update its facilities, maximize efficiency, and 
reorganize and consolidate its operations. To this end, GSA is 
currently conducting a competitive procurement of 1.35 million rentable 
square feet of new or renovated space under an operating lease for a 
term of fifteen years. Consolidation in a new or renovated headquarters 
will produce significant operating efficiencies in support of DOT's 
mission.
    The Government is conducting this procurement as a negotiated, best 
value source selection. This procurement process has been developed 
with full integration of the NEPA process, incorporating NEPA 
compliance into the agency's decision making framework. The results of 
this effort will be full public participation and submission of final 
proposals that address potential environmental impacts. The 
Government's evaluation of final proposals will include consideration 
of an offeror's ability and willingness to address impacts and 
implement proposed mitigation measures identified through the NEPA 
process, including public comments received on the Draft EIS.

Draft EIS Availability

    Copies of the Draft EIS will be available for review at the 
locations identified below. Also available for review will be copies of 
the transcript of proceedings from the April 11th Public Scoping 
Meeting and public comments submitted. In addition, the Draft EIS and 
other information regarding this project are available on the internet 
at http://www.evolv.com/DOT.
    The Draft EIS may be viewed at the following locations:
    1. Department of Transportation, Dockets Room, PL-401, 400 7th 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.
    2. Martin Luther King Library, 9th & G Streets, NW, Washington, DC.
    3. Public Affairs Office, Navy, Bldg, 200, 2nd Floor, Wing 1 North, 
Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC.

Public Hearing

    A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS and conduct a public scoping 
meeting was issued on June 30, 1999. The public scoping meeting was 
held on July 29, 1999 to assist GSA in determining the significant 
issues related to this project. A second public scoping meeting was 
held on April 11, 2000 to provide the public a further opportunity to 
comment on the project and, specifically, the sites and proposals 
selected to participate in Phase II of the competition. Comments from 
both these meetings have been incorporated into the Draft EIS.
    The subject of this notice is a public hearing that will be held to 
solicit comment from agencies and the public on the Draft EIS. This 
public hearing will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday, July 12, 2000, at the 
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Horizon Ballroom 
(Ground Level, 13\1/2\ Street Entrance) 13th Street and Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20004.
    The hearing will be advertised in local and regional newspapers as 
the date of the hearing approaches. At the hearing, a short formal 
presentation will precede the request for public comments. GSA 
representatives will be available to receive comments from the public 
regarding issues of concern, including comments on the potential 
impacts of the proposed project, means of mitigating those impacts, and 
project alternatives.
    GSA encourages Federal, regional, state and local agencies, and 
interested individuals and groups, to take this opportunity to identify 
environmental concerns that they believe should be addressed in the 
Final EIS. In the interest of available time, each speaker will be 
asked to limit oral comments to five (5) minutes. However, agencies and 
the general public are encouraged to provide written comments on the 
scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, presenting oral comments 
at the public hearing.
    Written comments will be accepted through July 24, 2000. All 
written and oral comments will be addressed and incorporated into the 
Final EIS. GSA anticipates that the Final EIS will be released in the 
Fall of 2000.

Project Information

    Topics of environmental analysis presented in the Draft EIS include 
short term impacts of construction and long-term impacts of site 
operations and maintenance on land use, historic resources, visual 
resources, physical and biological resources, public transportation, 
traffic and parking, public services and utilities, and socio-economic 
conditions. The environmental analysis also addresses cumulative 
impacts that would result from this end and other development projects 
that have been completed recently, are currently under development, and 
are proposed within each study area.

Time and Location of Meeting

    The public meeting will be held: At 7 p.m. Wednesday, 12, 2000 at 
the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Horizon 
Ballroom (Ground Level, 13\1/2\ Street Entrance) 13th Street and 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004.

Dates: Written comments on the Draft EIS must be postmarked no later 
than July 24, 2000, to the following address: General Services 
Administration, Attn:

[[Page 36815]]

Mr. John Simeon, Portfolio Development Division (WPC), 7th and D 
Streets, SW., Suite 2002, Washington, DC 20407.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Mr. John Simeon, General 
Services Administration, (202) 260-9586.

    Dated: June 6, 2000.
Anthony Costa,
Assistant Regional Administrator, National Capital Region, General 
Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-14734 Filed 6-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-23-M