[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64466-64467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22605]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2020-09; Docket No. 2020-0002; Sequence No. 39]


Record of Decision of the Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Master Plan Amendment 2 of the Consolidation 
of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Headquarters at the St. 
Elizabeths West Campus

AGENCY: Public Buildings Service, National Capital Region, General 
Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: GSA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 2020 Master Plan 
Amendment 2 for the Consolidation of the U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS) at the St. Elizabeths West Campus, located in Southeast, 
Washington, DC, on October 9, 2020. The ROD was prepared in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council 
on Environmental Quality Regulations, and the GSA Public Buildings 
Service NEPA Desk Guide.

DATES: Applicable: Friday, October 9, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The ROD can be found on GSA's project website at 
www.gsa.gov/ncrnepa.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Gyamfi, GSA, National Capital 
Region, Public Buildings Service, Office of Planning and Design 
Quality, at 202-440-3405, or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    One of the principal missions of GSA is to provide secure office 
space for Federal agencies throughout the United States, including the 
Washington, DC, metropolitan area. GSA obtained control of the St. 
Elizabeths West Campus in Southeast, Washington, DC, in 2004, in 
anticipation of meeting a portion of the need for secure Federal office 
space in the National Capital Region (NCR). On June 7, 2005, GSA 
published a Notice of Intent (NOI), and on June 28, 2007, a revised 
NOI, to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for the 
proposed redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths West Campus.
    GSA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 2008 Final Master 
Plan EIS on December 16, 2008, selecting the alternative that 
consolidated 4.5 million gross square feet of secure office and shared-
use space and associated parking on both the West and East Campuses at 
St. Elizabeths. As part of the 2008 Final Master Plan EIS for this 
action, GSA also assessed, on a programmatic level, the impacts of 
constructing 750,000 gross square feet of office space and associated 
parking on the St. Elizabeths East Campus. GSA noted in its ROD that an 
EIS tiered to the 2008 Final Master Plan EIS would be prepared for the 
East Campus.
    On November 19, 2018, GSA published an NOI to prepare an EIS for 
St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment 2, which eliminates development on 
the East Campus and re-evaluates development on the St. Elizabeths West 
Campus to accommodate 4.1 million gross square feet of secure office 
and shared-use space, and 1.6 million gross square feet of associated 
parking, for the DHS Headquarters consolidation. The Master Plan 
Amendment 2 Draft SEIS was issued for a 70-day public comment period on 
May 8, 2020 and the Master Plan Amendment 2 Final SEIS was issued for a 
30-day public review on August 28, 2020.
    Comments received during public review of the Master Plan Amendment 
2 Final EIS are provided in Appendix A along with GSA's responses

Preferred Alternative

    GSA has chosen to implement Alternative B as defined in the Master 
Plan Amendment 2 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), issued 
August 2020. This decision is based on analyses contained in the Master 
Plan Amendment 2 Draft EIS issued in May 2020, the Master Plan 
Amendment 2 Final EIS issued in August 2020, the Programmatic Agreement 
executed in December 2008, the Memorandum of Agreement executed on 
September 29, 2020, and the comments of Federal and state agencies, 
stakeholder organizations, members of the public, and elected 
officials.
    Alternative B includes the addition of 1.2 million gross square 
feet of office space in two separate office structures organized around 
two enclosed courtyards on the plateau site at the West Campus. The new 
office buildings will range from three to eight stories, and the 
largest part of the structures will have an east-west orientation to 
optimize the use of daylight. The courtyards will be secured to provide 
open space for building occupants. Building B1 will be stepped down 
into the ravine near Building 56/57 to stabilize the slope in that 
area. Building 56/57 will be integrated into the design of Building B1 
to provide a connection between the historic and new construction. 
Buildings 52 and 64 will be retained, rehabilitated, and adaptively 
reused.
    Alternative B also includes the addition of 175,000 gross square 
feet of office space on the Sweetgum Lane site (proposed Building C1), 
organized into primarily below-grade construction, with one two-story 
building constructed to mirror the northwest corner of the Munro 
Building. The building would include up to three below-grade levels, 
which would take advantage of the site slope from east to west, 
allowing the western edge of the building to receive daylight. A 
central courtyard would provide internal daylighting.
    Alternative B will also consist of the following:
     An additional 1,014 employee parking spaces added to the 
previously proposed underground parking garages at Gates 1 and 2 on the 
east side of the West Campus;
     Demolition of Buildings 60, 66, 67, 68, and 69, which 
total 65,295 gross square feet of space, at the plateau site;
     Demolition of Building 15, which totals 2,749 gross square 
feet of space, at the Sweetgum Lane site;
     Sidewalks and walkways, including enhanced pedestrian 
connections at the ravine;
     Engineering for stabilization of steep slopes, including 
building foundations;
     Realignment of site drainages and incorporation of 
landscaping and stormwater management;
     Shuttle bus drop-off locations;
     Shipping/receiving areas for buildings;

[[Page 64467]]

     Electric power, communications, and utility corridors 
designed for buildings and site improvements; and
     Remediation of contaminated soils.

Kristi Tunstall Williams,
Deputy Director, Office of Planning and Design Quality, Public 
Buildings Service, National Capital Region, General Services 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-22605 Filed 10-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-Y1-P