Federal Real Property: Property Conveyances between the District 
of Columbia and the Federal Government Await Completion, and	 
Development Will Take Many Years (13-JUN-08, GAO-08-684).	 
                                                                 
The Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act
of 2006 (Public Law 109-396) mandated GAO's review of the	 
property exchange between the District and the federal		 
government. None of the conveyances had occurred by the beginning
of GAO's audit phase. After consulting with the congressional	 
committees specified in the law, GAO developed research questions
that reflect an assessment of property exchanges and development 
progress to date. GAO's objectives were to determine (1) the	 
status of the conveyances and transfers of the properties	 
identified in the law; (2) what steps the District and the	 
federal government have taken toward completing the conveyances, 
what factors have affected their completion, and what additional 
steps remain; (3)what preliminary development has occurred on the
properties exchanged between the District and the federal	 
government, and what are the current plans for use of these	 
properties; and (4)what development challenges the District and  
federal government face going forward. GAO analyzed planning and 
property documents; conducted site visits; and interviewed senior
officials from the District and the Department of the Interior	 
(DOI) among others. DOI and the General Services Administration  
agreed with our findings, while the District and the Architect of
the Capitol (AOC) did not comment on our overall findings. All	 
provided technical clarifications which we incorporated as	 
appropriate.							 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-08-684 					        
    ACCNO:   A82357						        
  TITLE:     Federal Real Property: Property Conveyances between the  
District of Columbia and the Federal Government Await Completion,
and Development Will Take Many Years				 
     DATE:   06/13/2008 
  SUBJECT:   Environmental cleanups				 
	     Environmental impact statements			 
	     Environmental monitoring				 
	     Federal agencies					 
	     Federal property					 
	     Federal property management			 
	     Federal regulations				 
	     Federal/state relations				 
	     Land management					 
	     Land use						 
	     Land use agreements				 
	     Policy evaluation					 
	     Program evaluation 				 
	     Program management 				 
	     Property disposal					 
	     Real estate transfers				 
	     Real property					 
	     Real property acquisition				 
	     Strategic planning 				 
	     District of Columbia				 

******************************************************************
** This file contains an ASCII representation of the text of a  **
** GAO Product.                                                 **
**                                                              **
** No attempt has been made to display graphic images, although **
** figure captions are reproduced.  Tables are included, but    **
** may not resemble those in the printed version.               **
**                                                              **
** Please see the PDF (Portable Document Format) file, when     **
** available, for a complete electronic file of the printed     **
** document's contents.                                         **
**                                                              **
******************************************************************
GAO-08-684

   

This text file was formatted by the U.S. Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) to be accessible to users with visual impairments, as part 
of a longer term project to improve GAO products' accessibility. Every 
attempt has been made to maintain the structural and data integrity of 
the original printed product. Accessibility features, such as text 
descriptions of tables, consecutively numbered footnotes placed at the 
end of the file, and the text of agency comment letters, are provided 
but may not exactly duplicate the presentation or format of the printed 
version. The portable document format (PDF) file is an exact electronic 
replica of the printed version. We welcome your feedback. Please E-mail 
your comments regarding the contents or accessibility features of this 
document to [email protected]. 

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright 
protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed 
in its entirety without further permission from GAO. Because this work 
may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the 
copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this 
material separately. 

Report to Congressional Committees: 

United States Government Accountability Office: 

GAO: 

June 2008: 

Federal Real Property: 

Property Conveyances between the District of Columbia and the Federal 
Government Await Completion, and Development Will Take Many Years: 

GAO-08-684: 

GAO Highlights: 

Highlights of GAO-08-684, a report to congressional committees. 

Why GAO Did This Study: 

The Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 
2006 (Public Law 109-396) mandated GAOâs review of the property 
exchange between the District and the federal government. None of the 
conveyances had occurred by the beginning of GAOâs audit phase. After 
consulting with the congressional committees specified in the law, GAO 
developed research questions that reflect an assessment of property 
exchanges and development progress to date. GAOâs objectives were to 
determine (1) the status of the conveyances and transfers of the 
properties identified in the law; (2) what steps the District and the 
federal government have taken toward completing the conveyances, what 
factors have affected their completion, and what additional steps 
remain; (3)what preliminary development has occurred on the properties 
exchanged between the District and the federal government, and what are 
the current plans for use of these properties; and (4)what development 
challenges the District and federal government face going forward. GAO 
analyzed planning and property documents; conducted site visits; and 
interviewed senior officials from the District and the Department of 
the Interior (DOI) among others. DOI and the General Services 
Administration agreed with our findings, while the District and the 
Architect of the Capitol (AOC) did not comment on our overall findings. 
All provided technical clarifications which we incorporated as 
appropriate. 

What GAO Found: 

No property conveyances between the District and the federal government 
have occurred as of June 6, 2008. All transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction, which do not involve the transfer of title, became 
effective the day (Dec. 15, 2006) that the President signed the Federal 
and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006. Nine 
conveyances between the Secretary of the Interior and the District, 
excluding Poplar Point, are planned to be completed by the end of 
summer 2008. The District intends to complete the conveyance of Poplar 
Point by the fall of 2009, if it is able to meet several conditions in 
the law, including developing a Secretary of the Interior-approved land-
use plan. The date for the completion of the conveyances of title 
between the General Services Administration and the District is 
uncertain and depends on an agreement between the District and the AOC 
on the District conveying not more than 12 acres of District property 
to the AOC. 

Although the District and the federal government have taken several 
steps to complete the conveyances, several factors have affected their 
efforts, and additional steps must be taken to complete the 
conveyances. The District and the National Park Service formed working 
groups as a first step toward completing the conveyances. However, 
negotiations about cleanup; testing properties for contamination; 
disagreement over land to be conveyed as part of the Boathouse Row 
properties, two properties along the western shores of the Anacostia 
River; and decision changes about environmental impact statement 
development for Poplar Point have slowed the completion of the 
conveyances between the District and Secretary of the Interior. 

Limited development has occurred on property already transferred or to 
be conveyed between the District and the federal government. 
Development will take many years to complete because the District must 
first develop plans for most of these sites. For example, commercial 
and residential development of Poplar Point is not likely to begin 
until 2011 because of the steps, such as the development of a land-use 
plan, which must be completed before the conveyance can occur. 
Development may take over a decade to complete at Poplar Point. 

The District and the federal government face several challenges as they 
move forward to develop or manage the exchanged properties. For 
example, some cleanup and development uncertainties, such as the extent 
and location of the cleanup required, will likely affect the timeliness 
of property development at Poplar Point. Other challenges facing the 
District include (1) transitioning the Deputy Mayorâs Office from 
policymaking and oversight roles to the lead in coordinating 
development, a function that has not been the Deputy Mayorâs Office 
core business, and (2) reaching community agreement about development 
at Poplar Point. 

To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on 
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-684]. For more 
information, contact Terrell Dorn at (202) 512-6923 or [email protected]. 

[End of section] 

Contents: 

Letter: 

Results in Brief: 

Background: 

No Property Conveyances between the District of Columbia and the 
Federal Government Have Occurred to Date: 

Although the District of Columbia and the Federal Government Have Taken 
Several Steps toward Completing the Conveyances, Additional Steps 
Remain: 

Limited Development Has Occurred on Properties Exchanged between the 
District of Columbia and the Federal Government: 

The District of Columbia and the Federal Government Face Challenges 
Going Forward as the District Begins Development: 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation: 

Appendix I: The Federal Government and the District of Columbia 
Property Conveyances and Transfers in Public Law 109-396: 

Appendix II: Description of Properties to Be Conveyed and Transferred 
between the District of Columbia and Federal Government: 

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of the Interior: 

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: 

Tables: 

Table 1: Summary of Property Status and Use by Receiving Entity: 

Table 2: Proposed Land Uses of Properties Going to the District 
(Includes Poplar Point and Reservation 13): 

Figures: 

Figure 1: Properties Exchanged between the District of Columbia and the 
Federal Government: 

Figure 2: Aerial View of the Poplar Point Property: 

Figure 3: Master Developer's Vision of Poplar Point: 

Figure 4: Aerial View of the Reservation 13 Property: 

Figure 5: Aerial View of the Potomac Avenue Triangles Properties 
(Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248): 

Figure 6: Aerial View of the Boathouse Row Properties (Portions of 
Reservations 343D and 343E): 

Figure 7: Aerial View of the Eastern Market Properties (Reservations 44 
to 49): 

Figure 8: The Old Naval Hospital Property: 

Figure 9: Aerial View of the Mount Vernon Square Property (Reservation 
8): 

Figure 10: Aerial View of the Audubon Terrace Property (Reservation 
402): 

Figure 11: Aerial View of the Poplar Point Property: 

Figure 12: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 13 Property (Hill East 
Waterfront): 

Figure 13: Aerial View of the Old Naval Hospital Property (Lot 802, 
Square 948): 

Figure 14: Aerial View of the St. Elizabeths West Campus: Building 
Numbers 16, 37, 38, 118, and 118A: 

Figure 15: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 17A Property (Trash 
Transfer Station): 

Figure 16: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 484 Property (Randall 
Recreation Center): 

Figure 17: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248 
(Potomac Avenue Triangles): 

Figure 18: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 128, 129, 130, 298, and 299 
(Virginia Avenue Triangles): 

Figure 19: Aerial View of Portions of U.S. Reservations 343D and 343E 
(Boathouse Row): 

Figure 20: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 721, 722, and 723 
(Waterside Mall): 

Figure 21: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 174 Property (Old 
Convention Center; Lot 849, Square 374): 

Figure 22: Aerial View of the Lovers Lane, NW, Property: 

Figure 23: Aerial View of Needwood, Niagara, and Pitt Streets, NW (C&O 
Canal National Historic Park): 

Figure 24: Aerial View of a Portion of the U.S. Reservation 451 
Property: 

Figure 25: Aerial View of a Portion of the U.S. Reservation 404 
Property (Canal Road, NW): 

Figure 26: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 
(Eastern Market): 

Figure 27: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 251 Property: 

Figure 28: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 8 Property (Mount Vernon 
Square): 

Figure 29: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 277A and 277C: 

Figure 30: Aerial View of Portions of U.S. Reservation 470 (Fort Reno 
Park): 

Figure 31: Aerial View of the Audubon Terrace, NW, Property: 

Figure 32: Aerial View of the Barnaby Street, NW, Property: 

Figure 33: Aerial View of the Canal Street, SW, and V Street, SW, 
Property: 

Figure 34: Aerial View of the Streets and Alleys at the Fort Circle 
Park Property: 

Figure 35: Aerial View of the Western Avenue, NW, Property: 

Figure 36: Aerial View of the 17th Street, NW, Property: 

Figure 37: Aerial View of the 30th Street, NW, Property: 

Figure 38: Aerial View of Land over I-395 (Including additional land 
along/above I-395): 

Figure 39: Aerial View of the Whitehaven Parkway, NW, Property: 

Figure 40: Aerial View of the Remaining Land over I-395 (AOC): 

Abbreviations: 

AOC: Architect of the Capitol: 

AWC: Anacostia Waterfront Corporation: 

CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act: 

CSOSA: Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency: 

DHS: Department of Homeland Security: 

DMPED: Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development: 

DOI: Department of the Interior: 

EIS: Environmental Impact Statement: 

GSA: General Services Administration: 

NCRC: National Capital Revitalization Corporation: 

NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act: 

NPS: National Park Service: 

RFEI: Request for Expressions of Interest: 

RFP: Request for Proposals: 

USPP: United States Park Police: 

United States Government Accountability Office: 

Washington, DC 20548: 

June 13, 2008: 

Congressional Committees: 

On December 15, 2006, Congress directed the conveyances of title or 
transfers of administrative jurisdiction[Footnote 1] of 30 
properties[Footnote 2] within the District of Columbia between the 
federal government and the District of Columbia government.[Footnote 3] 
The exchange was primarily intended to provide the District with 
property for economic development to help expand its tax base and 
reduce the District's structural fiscal imbalance--that is, the 
difference between the District's costs to provide services and its 
ability to raise revenue. The exchange was also intended to decrease 
the District's financial dependence on the federal government. In May 
2003, we reported that the District's structural imbalance, which stems 
partly from the District's public service costs that far exceeded that 
of the average state fiscal system, likely exceeded $470 million 
annually and could have been as high as $1.1 billion, depending on the 
assumptions used.[Footnote 4] The two largest properties to be 
conveyed--both to the District--are Poplar Point, a 110-acre property 
east of the Anacostia River administered by the Department of the 
Interior's (DOI) National Park Service (NPS), and Reservation 13 (Hill 
East), a 67-acre property along the western shores of the Anacostia 
River at the southeastern end of Capitol Hill administered by the 
General Services Administration (GSA). As the largest properties to be 
conveyed, Poplar Point and Reservation 13 are planned to have the most 
development and, thus, are likely to generate most of the new tax 
revenue that would be available to reduce the District's structural 
fiscal imbalance. Some of the property conveyances and transfers 
involve underutilized federal and District property, thus potentially 
providing management and efficiency benefits to both governments. 
Although the statute conveys the largest properties to the District, 
the federal government, including agencies such as NPS, GSA, and the 
Architect of the Capitol (AOC), receives some property. For example, as 
part of the exchange, GSA receives property that includes buildings on 
the West Campus of St. Elizabeths, facilitating plans to consolidate 
the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters on the property. 

The law authorizing the conveyances and transfers of the properties 
mandates that we report periodically over a 10-year period about (1) 
how the properties are used and developed and (2) how this use and 
development comply with the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan, which 
is the District's guiding document for the Anacostia River's 
restoration and revitalization. None of the conveyances had occurred by 
the beginning of our audit phase. After consulting with the 
congressional committees specified in the law, we developed research 
questions that reflect an assessment of land conveyances and 
development progress to date.[Footnote 5] In the future, we plan to 
report periodically on the questions mandated in the law. The research 
questions for this report are as follows: 

1. What is the status of the conveyances and transfers of the 
properties identified in Public Law 109-396? 

2. What steps have the District and the federal government taken toward 
completing the conveyances, what factors have affected their 
completion, and what additional steps remain? 

3. What preliminary development has occurred on the properties to be 
exchanged between the District and the federal government, and what are 
the current plans for use of these properties? 

4. What development challenges do the District and federal government 
face going forward? 

To answer each of the four questions, we reviewed and analyzed 
documents showing basic property data--such as maps, agency reports and 
Public Law 109-396--and conducted site visits to key properties. We 
also reviewed and analyzed planning documents, such as a summary of the 
properties created by the District government; area master plans; and 
development proposals. We interviewed senior officials from the 
District government, NPS, the U.S. Park Police (USPP), GSA, and the AOC 
as well as members of stakeholder groups, including Advisory 
Neighborhood Commission 6, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, the 
Earth Conservation Corps, the Anacostia Economic Development 
Corporation, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the U.S. 
Commission of Fine Arts. We conducted this performance audit from 
August 2007 through June 2008 in accordance with generally accepted 
government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and 
perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide 
a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit 
objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable 
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 

Results in Brief: 

No property conveyances between the District and the federal government 
had occurred as of June 6, 2008. All transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction, which do not involve the transfer of title, became 
effective the day (Dec. 15, 2006) that the President signed the Federal 
and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006. The 
legislation directs the following exchanges: 

* Property to the District government: 

- Conveyances of eight NPS properties. 

- Conveyances of two GSA properties. 

- Transfers of administrative jurisdiction of seven NPS properties. 

* Property to the federal government: 

- Conveyances of two District properties to the Secretary of the 
Interior. 

- Conveyances of five buildings on the West Campus of St. Elizabeths 
from the District to the Administrator of General Services. 

- Conveyance of not more than 12 acres from the District to the AOC. 

- Transfers of administrative jurisdiction of nine District-controlled 
properties to the Secretary of the Interior for administration by the 
NPS Director (a portion of one property (land over I-395) transfers to 
the AOC) (See table 1 of this report.) 

All conveyances between the District and the Secretary of the Interior, 
except for Poplar Point, were planned to be completed by the end of 
summer 2008. The District intends to complete the conveyance of Poplar 
Point in the fall of 2009, if it can meet several conditions in the law 
including developing a Secretary of the Interior-approved land-use 
plan. The date for the completion of the conveyances of title between 
the District and GSA is uncertain. The completion date depends on 
agreement between the District and the AOC on conveying not more than 
12 acres of District property to the AOC. 

Although the District and the federal government have taken several 
steps toward completing the conveyances, several factors have affected 
their efforts, and additional steps must be taken to complete the 
conveyances. According to District and NPS officials, the District and 
NPS formed working groups to complete the conveyances between them. 
However, negotiations about cleanup, testing properties for 
contamination, disagreement over land to be conveyed as part of the 
Boathouse Row properties, and decision changes about environmental 
impact statement (EIS) development for Poplar Point have slowed the 
completion of conveyances between the District and the Secretary of the 
Interior. For example, the time frame for the conveyance of Poplar 
Point was extended up to 2 years, when the District and NPS decided in 
the summer of 2007 to develop an EIS for this property to avert 
potential lawsuits and to address the concern that decisions made by 
the Secretary of the Interior about Poplar Point might be considered a 
major federal action that would significantly affect the environment. 
District and GSA conveyances await agreement between the District and 
the AOC on a District property, which must convey to the AOC before 
Reservation 13--a 67-acre property along the western shores of the 
Anacostia River at the southeastern end of Capitol Hill administered by 
GSA--can convey to the District. Under an exchange agreement signed 
between the District and GSA on January 2008, the Old Naval Hospital's 
conveyance also awaits agreement on a District property of not more 
than 12 acres for the AOC. Lastly, the District and the federal 
government must complete several steps to complete the conveyance of 
Poplar Point. Most of these steps pertain to meeting conditions within 
the 2006 Act that transferred and will convey these properties. For 
example, the District must complete a Secretary of the Interior- 
approved land-use plan. In addition, facilities and property on Poplar 
Point that are currently used by NPS will not be conveyed to the 
District until the NPS Director certifies that replacement facilities, 
which the District is responsible for preparing, are ready to be 
occupied. 

Limited development has occurred on property transferred or to be 
conveyed between the District and the federal government. Development 
will take many years to complete because the District must first 
develop plans for most of these sites. As the largest conveyed 
properties, Poplar Point and Reservation 13 are likely to have most of 
the commercial and residential development and, thus, will likely 
generate most of the new tax revenue to potentially reduce the 
District's structural fiscal imbalance. 

* Poplar Point - In February 2008, the District began the process for 
developing an EIS to help devise alternative development scenarios for 
the site. District officials expect the conveyance of Poplar Point to 
occur in the fall of 2009. However, relocation of NPS and USPP 
facilities will likely take 18 to 24 months, thus commercial and 
residential development of Poplar Point is not likely to begin until 
2011 and may take up to a decade to complete. The District selected a 
Master Developer for Poplar Point in February 2008. This Master 
Developer's vision for Poplar Point includes 1.5 million square feet of 
office space, 3.8 million square feet of residential units, 405,000 
square feet of retail space, 70 acres of parks, a waterfront 
entertainment district, a deck over I-295 to connect the site with 
Historic Downtown Anacostia, and an option for a soccer stadium. 

* Reservation 13 - District officials expect the conveyance of 
Reservation 13, the second-largest property to be conveyed at 67 acres, 
to occur at an uncertain date in 2008. The District has administrative 
authority over this property, and it has remediated and is preparing to 
demolish Building 25. It has also begun constructing an interim plaza 
adjacent to a nearby metro station and planning for the extension of 
Massachusetts Avenue and other infrastructure improvements. Current 
District plans call for Reservation 13 to be transformed into an urban 
multiuse waterfront district that is in accordance with the Anacostia 
Waterfront Framework Plan and the Hill East Master Plan approved by the 
D.C. Council in 2002. Once complete, the mayor expects the site can 
accommodate about 3,000 new units of housing for residents at all 
income levels; nearly 5.5 million square feet of mixed-use development; 
new public park spaces; and more than $80 million in new infrastructure 
upgrades. While initial construction on Reservation 13 may begin in the 
fall of 2008, District officials say that construction may take as long 
as a decade. 

* Other Transferred or Conveyed Properties - The District plans to 
develop some transferred or conveyed properties commercially and 
residentially, while using other properties for parks, recreation, or 
other public uses. Development of the other exchanged properties, to 
the extent applicable, is also in its early stages. The District has 
commercial or residential redevelopment plans for at least part of two 
of these properties beyond Poplar Point and Reservation 13. For 
example, some of the Potomac Avenue triangles (Reservations 243, 244, 
and 245) are properties targeted for commercial and residential 
development in conjunction with the new major league baseball stadium, 
while Reservation 247 is part of the new baseball stadium. 

The District and the federal government face challenges as the District 
moves forward to develop or manage the transferred or to be conveyed 
properties. For example, some cleanup and development uncertainties 
will likely affect the timeliness of property development at Poplar 
Point. These uncertainties include the: 

* extent and location of cleanup required, 

* cost of environmental cleanup, 

* determination of responsibility for paying for the environmental 
cleanup, 

* potential complications of relocating USPP facilities, and: 

* amount of construction that is allowed prior to the Secretary of the 
Interior's determination that NPS and USPP facilities are ready to be 
occupied. 

According to a senior NPS official and a senior USPP official, 
relocating U.S. Park Police facilities may be complicated and might 
affect the timeliness of the conveyance of the Poplar Point site to the 
District, which in turn will affect when development on the site 
begins. USPP needs space for helicopter landings and a firing range. 
These facilities have flight space, noise, and safety implications that 
will affect neighbors substantially; therefore USPP will require 
community input that could make identifying a site difficult and could 
lengthen the process. These issues will be examined as part of the EIS 
process for Poplar Point. Other challenges facing the District include 
(1) transitioning the Deputy Mayor's Office, which has assumed the 
functions of the recently dissolved Anacostia Waterfront Corporation 
and the National Capital Revitalization Corporation, from policymaking 
and oversight roles to the lead in coordinating development, a function 
that has not been the Deputy Mayor's Office core business, and (2) 
reaching community agreement about development at Poplar Point. 

DOI and GSA agreed with our findings and provided technical 
clarifications which we incorporated as appropriate. The District and 
the AOC did not comment on our overall findings and provided technical 
clarifications which we incorporated as appropriate. 

Background: 

The Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 
2006 was intended to provide the District with property for economic 
development to help expand its tax base and decrease the District's 
financial dependence on the federal government. Expanding the 
District's tax base should help reduce the District's structural fiscal 
imbalance. A structural fiscal imbalance exists when the cost of 
providing an average level of public services exceeds the amount of 
revenue a government raises by applying average tax rates. We 
highlighted this structural imbalance in a 2003 report, finding that 
the District's public service costs far exceeded that of the average 
state fiscal system, and these costs were largely beyond its control, 
due to factors such as its large low-income population.[Footnote 6] The 
report estimated that the imbalance likely exceeded $470 million 
annually and could have been as high as $1.1 billion, depending on the 
assumptions used. Our analysis indicated that the cost of delivering an 
average level of services per capita in the District exceeded that of 
the average state fiscal system by approximately 75 percent (or $2.3 
billion more annually than if it faced average cost circumstances) and 
was over one third more than the second-highest cost fiscal system, New 
York. We found that even if the District addressed its underlying 
management problems, such as inadequate financial management, billing 
systems, and internal controls, such actions would not be enough to 
offset the structural imbalance because the imbalance is determined by 
other factors, as previously mentioned, largely beyond the District's 
direct control. We also stated that addressing the imbalance may 
require changes to federal policies to expand the District's tax base 
or to provide additional financial support. If the assumptions 
underlying this structural imbalance analysis change, then estimates of 
the amount of the structural imbalance could change in either 
direction. Development of the properties conveyed or transferred from 
the federal government to the District through Public Law 109-396 is 
intended to enable the District to expand its tax base. 

The federal government and the District must comply with environmental 
laws when completing the transfers and conveyances. Two environmental 
laws relevant to the properties involved are the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). NEPA requires federal 
agencies to assess the likely environmental effects of the projects 
that they propose. Federal agencies must prepare EISs for proposed 
major actions significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment. Upon completing the EIS, a federal agency prepares a 
public record of its decision addressing how it incorporated the 
findings of the EIS, including consideration of alternatives into its 
decision-making process. The NEPA process is designed to involve the 
public and gather the best available information so that decision 
makers can be fully informed when making their choices. The public may 
participate in the NEPA process by attending NEPA-related hearings or 
public meetings and by submitting comments directly to the lead agency. 
The lead agency must take into consideration all comments received from 
the public and other parties on NEPA documents during the comment 
period. The entire NEPA process can take several years to complete. 

CERCLA was enacted in 1980 to clean up highly contaminated hazardous 
waste sites across the country. CERCLA requires that parties 
statutorily responsible for cleaning up pollution bear the costs of 
cleaning up contaminated sites. CERCLA established that past owners or 
operators of contaminated property, including the U.S. government, may 
be held responsible for the contamination. 

No Property Conveyances between the District of Columbia and the 
Federal Government Have Occurred to Date: 

No property conveyances between the District, GSA, and NPS had occurred 
as of June 6, 2008. However, all transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction, which do not involve the transfer of title, became 
effective the day (Dec. 15, 2006) that the President signed the Federal 
and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006. (See 
fig. 1 and table 1 for information on all conveyances of title and 
transfers of administrative jurisdiction.) The legislation directs the 
following exchanges: 

Property to the District government: 

* Conveyances of eight NPS properties. 

* Conveyances of two GSA properties. 

* Transfers of administrative jurisdiction of seven NPS properties. 

Property to the federal government: 

* Conveyances of two District properties to the Secretary of the 
Interior. 

* Conveyances of five buildings on the West Campus of St. Elizabeths 
from the District to the Administrator of General Services. 

* Conveyance of up to 12 acres from the District to AOC. 

* Transfers of administrative jurisdiction of nine District-controlled 
properties to the Secretary of the Interior for administration by the 
NPS Director (a portion of one property (land over I-395) transfers to 
the AOC). 

All conveyances between the District and the Secretary of the Interior, 
except for Poplar Point, are expected to be completed by the end of 
summer 2008. For the conveyance of Poplar Point to occur in the fall of 
2009 as intended, the District must complete a number of tasks to meet 
conditions in the law including development of a Secretary-approved 
land-use plan (see fig. 2.) The date for the completion of conveyances 
of title between GSA and the District is uncertain and depends on 
agreement between the District and the AOC on not more than 12 acres of 
District property for the AOC. The AOC's current proposed use for the 
up to 12 acre property is an offsite delivery facility.[Footnote 7] 

Figure 1: Properties Exchanged between the District of Columbia and the 
Federal Government: 

This figure is a map of the properties exchanged between the District 
of Columbia and the Federal Government. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: GAO and the National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Table 1: Summary of Property Status and Use by Receiving Entity: 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: Poplar Point; 
Acreage[H]: 110.0 (approx.); 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Fall 2009; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation and Open Space[A]; 
Local Public Facilities[B]; and High Density Residential[C] and 
Commercial[D]. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: U.S. Reservation 17A; 
Acreage[H]: Receiving entity: 1.273; 
Status: Receiving entity: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: End of summer 2008; 
Proposed use: Receiving entity: High Density Commercial; 
Road realignment. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: U.S. Reservation 484; 
Acreage[H]: Receiving entity: 8.508; 
Status: Receiving entity: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: End of summer 2008; 
Proposed use: Receiving entity: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: U.S. Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248; 
Acreage[H]: Receiving entity: 2.69; 
Status: Receiving entity: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: End of summer 2008; 
Proposed use: Receiving entity: High and Medium Density Commercial and 
Residential[EF]; Local Public Facilities (baseball stadium). 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: U.S. Reservations 128, 129, 130, 298, and 299; 
Acreage[H]: 0.96; 
Status: Receiving entity: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: End of summer 2008; 
Proposed use: Receiving entity: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (in 
conjunction with adjacent development). 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: Portion[A] of U.S. Reservations 343D and 343E; 
Acreage[H]: 19.0 (approx.); 
Status: Receiving entity: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: End of summer 2008; 
Proposed use: Receiving entity: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space 
(Boathouse Row--marina/recreation). 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: U.S. Reservations 721, 722, and 723; 
Acreage[H]: Receiving entity: 3.248; 
Status: Receiving entity: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: End of summer 2008; 
Proposed use: Receiving entity: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space; 
Road realignment. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the Department 
of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS); 
Property name: U.S. Reservation 174; 
Acreage[H]: 0.31; 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: End of summer 
2008; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (part of High Density 
Development). 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the General 
Services Administration (GSA); 
Property name: U.S. Reservation 13; 
Acreage[H]: 67.0 (approx.); 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Uncertain; 
Proposed use: Medium Density Commercial; 
Local Public Facilities, Road Extension. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Conveyances from the General 
Services Administration (GSA); 
Property name: Old Naval Hospital (Square 948); 
Acreage[H]: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from DOI/NPS: 
0.705; 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Uncertain; 
Proposed use: Local Public Facility (Community Center). 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: A portion of U.S. Reservation 451; 
Acreage[H]: 0.475; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Road/Access to Local Public Facility. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: A portion of U.S. Reservation 404; 
Acreage[H]: Survey pending; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: December 15, 2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space; 
Road. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: U.S. Reservations 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49; 
Acreage[H]: 1.114; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Receiving 
entity: December 15, 2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: U.S. Reservation 251; 
Acreage[H]: 0.151; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: U.S. Reservation 8; 
Acreage[H]: 2.748; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: U.S. Reservations 277A and 277C; 
Acreage[H]: 0.131; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: District of Columbia: Transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction from DOI/ NPS; 
Property name: Portions of U.S. Reservation 470; 
Acreage[H]: 1.556; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: DOI/NPS: Conveyances from the District of Columbia; 
Property name: Lovers Lane, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 324); 
Acreage[H]: 0.52; 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: End of summer 
2008; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: DOI/NPS: Conveyances from the District of Columbia; 
Property name: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia: Needwood, Niagara, and Pitt Streets, NW (within 
the C&O Canal National Historic Park); 
Acreage[H]: 1.35; 
Status: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the District of 
Columbia: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: End of summer 
2008; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: Audubon Terrace, NW (within U.S. Reservation 402); 
Acreage[H]: 0.381; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: Barnaby Street, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 545); 
Acreage[H]: 0.436; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: Canal Street, SW, and V Street, SW (abuts U.S. 
Reservation 467); 
Acreage[H]: 3.732; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: Streets and alleys at Fort Circle Park (within U.S. 
Reservation 497); 
Acreage[H]: 4.35; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: Western Avenue, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 339); 
Acreage[H]: 1.081; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: 17th Street, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 339); 
Acreage[H]: 0.268; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: 30th Street, NW (within U.S. Reservation 515); 
Acreage[H]: 0.343; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: Land over I-395; 
Acreage[H]: 1.69; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Memorial to disabled veterans; 
Parking. 

Receiving entity: Transfers of administrative jurisdiction from the 
District of Columbia; 
Property name: GSA: Whitehaven Parkway, NW (portion of U.S. Reservation 
357; 
Acreage[H]: GSA: 1.80; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. 

Receiving entity: GSA; 
Property name: St. Elizabeths' Building Numbers 16, 37, 38, 118, and 
118A; 
Acreage[H]: 6.55; 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Uncertain; 
Proposed use: Part of proposed Department of Homeland Security 
headquarters. 

Receiving entity: The Architect of the Capitol; 
Property name: Not more than 12 acres of District of Columbia property; 
Acreage[H]: 12.0; 
Status: Conveyance awaits completion; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: Uncertain; 
Proposed use: Offsite delivery facility. 

Receiving entity: The Architect of the Capitol; 
Property name: Additional land over; 
I-395; 
Acreage[H]: 0.504; 
Status: Transfer completed; 
Estimated conveyance/ Actual transfer completion date: December 15, 
2006; 
Proposed use: Parking and Open Space. 

Source: District of Columbia. 

[A] "Parks, Recreation, and Open Space" is a land use designation that 
includes federal and District park systems, including circles and 
squares of the city, and permanent open spaces, such as the open spaces 
along highways. 

[B] "Local Public Facilities" is a land use designation that includes 
land and facilities occupied and used by the District government or 
other local government agencies, excluding parks and open spaces. 

[C] "High Density Residential" is a land use designation used to define 
neighborhoods and corridors where high-rise (eight stories or more) 
apartment buildings are the predominant use. 

[D] "High Density Commercial" is a land use designation characterized 
by office and mixed office/retail buildings more than eight stories, 
although many lower-scale buildings are interspersed. 

[E] "Medium Density Residential" is a land use designation used to 
define neighborhoods or areas where midrise (four-seven stories) 
apartment buildings are the predominant use. 

[F] "Medium Density Commercial" is a land use designation that defines 
shopping and service areas in which buildings are generally more than 
five stories, but generally do not exceed eight stories. 

[G] Although "Parks, Recreation, and Open Space" is a District 
classification, we believe that properties transferred or conveyed from 
the District to the Secretary of the Interior also could be classified 
as such. 

[H] The basis for many of these acreage estimates are recent surveys 
conducted by a surveyor hired by the District of Columbia. 

[End of table] 

Although the District of Columbia and the Federal Government Have Taken 
Several Steps toward Completing the Conveyances, Additional Steps 
Remain: 

Although the District and the federal government have taken several 
steps toward completing the conveyances, several factors have affected 
their efforts, and additional steps must be taken to complete the 
conveyances. The District and NPS formed working groups as a first step 
toward completing the conveyances. However, negotiations about cleanup, 
testing properties for contamination, and disagreement over land to be 
conveyed as part of the Boathouse Row properties have slowed the 
completion of District and NPS conveyances. The District and GSA have 
completed a property exchange agreement, but the agreement is 
contingent on the key step of conveying up to 12 acres of District 
property to the AOC. In addition, the District must complete several 
steps to complete the conveyance of Poplar Point by the fall of 2009. 

The District and NPS Formed Working Groups as a First Step toward 
Completing the Conveyances: 

According to District and NPS officials, the two parties are working 
cooperatively and formed four working groups to complete the 
conveyances. 

* A NPS and USPP Facilities Replacement team has been established to 
discuss various aspects of the pending relocation of existing 
facilities at Poplar Point. 

* A Planning for Poplar Point team has been established to develop a 
land-use plan for the site and produce this plan as a document in 
accordance with NEPA as a way for (1) the District to consider a 
variety of options for developing Poplar Point and satisfying the 
District's Environmental Policy Act and (2) the District and NPS to use 
in making decisions about NPS and USPP facilities at Poplar Point and 
their possible relocation. 

* A Environmental Compliance team has been established to ensure 
compliance with the provisions of CERCLA that govern the transfer of 
property by federal agencies. 

* A Conveyance Documents team has been established to complete the 
deeds by which the District and United States will convey properties. 

The staffs of the District government and NPS also cooperated to 
complete preparatory work, including drafting conveyance documents, 
assessing property conditions, completing land-use plans, and 
identifying potential new facilities for NPS and USPP. In addition, 
both the District and NPS independently conducted environmental site 
characterizations for each of the conveyed properties. GSA and District 
staffs also worked cooperatively to complete preparatory work, 
including drafting conveyance documents. 

Several Factors Have Slowed District and NPS Conveyances: 

Several factors have affected efforts to complete the conveyances 
between the District and NPS. For example, the time frame for conveying 
Poplar Point was extended when the District and NPS determined in 
summer 2007 to develop an EIS for this property to (1) avert potential 
lawsuits and (2) address the concern that decisions made by the 
Secretary of the Interior about Poplar Point might be considered a 
major federal action. According to District and NPS officials, they had 
mutually agreed in early discussions that a full NEPA process involving 
development of an EIS would not be required before the conveyance; 
however, once they moved into more details of the transfer and proposed 
development of Poplar Point, both parties agreed that meeting NEPA 
requirements by developing an EIS appeared to be the most prudent 
course. 

Despite the extended time frame for Poplar Point, the District and NPS 
originally hoped to have the other conveyances completed by the fall of 
2007. However, NPS's desire to conduct soil sample tests to determine 
property contamination levels, as well as negotiations over 
environmental elements of the exchange agreement for Boathouse Row, 
have lengthened the time needed to complete these conveyances. In 
October 2007, NPS tested soil and groundwater samples taken from 
Waterside Mall (Reservations 721, 722, and 723) and Virginia Avenue 
properties (Reservations 128, 129, 130, and 299) for potential 
contamination. The analysis of the collected samples did not indicate 
the presence of contamination as defined by CERCLA. 

The District and Secretary of the Interior have completed agreements 
called a Finding of Suitability for Early Transfer (FOSET) and a Site 
Specific Memorandum of Agreement for Reservations 343D and 343E (the 
Boathouse Row properties) and Reservation 298. According to senior 
District and NPS officials, the agreements for Reservations 298 and 
343D outline how the Washington Gas remediation plan for Reservations 
343D and 298 will be modified to meet the requirements of applicable 
law and take into account the District's proposed changes in land use. 
According to senior District and NPS officials, the District and NPS 
agreed to identify a new cleanup plan before going jointly to 
Washington Gas to negotiate its agreement (or compel it) to undertake 
the necessary cleanup. These officials also stated that Reservation 
343E, which is contaminated as a result of the prior operations of a 
NPS concessioner, is covered in the FOSET agreement. The District and 
NPS will identify and agree on a remediation plan for portions of 
Reservations 343D and 343E and Reservation 298 after completion of a 
land use plan, the development of which began in the spring of 2008 and 
is scheduled to be complete by the fall of 2008. In short, the District 
and DOI have come to an agreement about the process for reaching 
cleanup agreements for these properties. The District and DOI agree 
that in doing so they are meeting the requirements of CERCLA, Section 
120(h) applicable to property transferred by federal agencies, 
including use of a "deferral" of certain actions until after the 
properties are transferred to the District.[Footnote 8] 

An additional factor affecting the exchange agreement between the 
District and NPS involves disagreement between the District and the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) over a small land parcel 
currently administered by the Corps on the Boathouse Row property. From 
a docking area within Reservation 343D, the Corps operates a debris 
removal facility that helps remove trash from the Anacostia River. 
According to NPS and the Corps, although this property was mistakenly 
included in an aerial photograph sent to the District at one point, 
this land was never intended to be part of the conveyance. Prior to the 
enactment of Public Law 109-396, the Corps and NPS attempted to 
complete a transfer of jurisdiction through the District of Columbia 
Office of the Surveyor transferring a small parcel of additional land 
from NPS to the Corps to facilitate their existing operation. However, 
according to a senior District official, NPS and the Corps were unable 
to secure the approval for the proposed transfer from the District 
Office of the Surveyor. The Corps will have to be temporarily relocated 
from the existing site during part of the Washington Gas cleanup 
efforts. The District disagrees with NPS's and the Corps' position and 
has stated (1) that there is no documentary evidence showing that the 
Corps has interest in the property and (2) that, therefore, it should 
be conveyed to the District. The District and the Corps are currently 
negotiating to devise a solution that is acceptable to both parties. 
According to the District, the Corps' current location is not a good 
spot because it would disrupt the Riverwalk Trail, a proposed trail 
that runs along the Anacostia River and passes through the Boathouse 
Row property, hinder the value and desirability of surrounding 
boathouses and marinas, and is incompatible with the planned use of the 
site. 

A Change in Mayoral Administrations and Dissolution of the District's 
Development Corporations Are Other Factors That Have Affected 
Conveyance Timelines: 

Other factors affecting the completion of the conveyances between the 
District and the Secretary of the Interior, according to stakeholders, 
was the change in mayoral administrations in the District at the 
beginning of 2007 and the dissolution of the District's development 
corporations later that year. The change of mayoral administrations 
brought new personnel into city departments and put interaction with 
the federal agencies briefly on hold, according to senior NPS 
officials. Also, the new administration dissolved the Anacostia 
Waterfront Corporation (AWC) and the National Capital Revitalization 
Corporation (NCRC) and transferred their duties to the Office of the 
Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) in September 
2007. AWC and NCRC were quasigovernment entities tasked with managing a 
variety of economic development projects, with AWC focusing on the 
Anacostia Waterfront Initiative area and NCRC covering the rest of the 
city. The mayor and D.C. Council cited a number of reasons for the 
dissolution. The mayor and D.C. Council wanted more direct control of 
development activities, because the quasigovernment entities were seen 
as less accountable. In particular, city officials were frustrated by 
the disagreement between the two corporations over control of 
properties along the Southwest Waterfront. In addition, the District 
wanted to improve management by reducing redundancies in staff and 
improving effectiveness. The ultimate goal of direct control and 
streamlined management is to speed-up delivery of the projects, while 
reducing costs, according to District officials. The dissolution 
resulted in staff changes and attrition. According to a senior District 
official, the staff of DMPED has increased from 33 full-time 
equivalents (FTEs) in September 2007 to 63 FTEs in June 2008 and is 
expected to grow to a total of 73 FTEs by August 2008 which is allowing 
the agency to increase its capacity and more effectively respond to its 
increased mission. According to senior NPS officials, the inevitable 
transition time that the District needed for restructuring and 
reorganization appears to have resulted in delays to the process of 
completing the conveyances. 

The District and GSA Have Completed a Property Exchange Agreement, but 
the Agreement Is Contingent on the Key Step of Conveying Not More Than 
12 Acres of District Property to the AOC: 

On January 17, 2008, the District government and GSA executed an 
agreement that established the terms and conditions of the property 
conveyance between the two parties. Under the terms of the agreement, 
GSA will convey Reservation 13 and the Old Naval Hospital to the 
District in exchange for five buildings on the West Campus of St. 
Elizabeths. However, the conveyance of Reservation 13 from GSA to the 
District government is conditioned on the District's conveyance of not 
more than 12 acres of District property to the AOC, which the AOC 
currently intends to use for an offsite delivery facility. The 
completion of the District-GSA exchange agreement was slightly delayed 
by negotiations over conditions for the Court Services and Offender 
Supervision Agency (CSOSA) remaining on Reservation 13. The issues 
concerning the length of an extended CSOSA lease and the location of 
parking spaces were resolved in a supplemental lease agreement signed 
on January 8, 2008. 

According to District and GSA officials, the conveyance of properties 
between the District and GSA has been delayed by the need to agree upon 
this site of not more than 12 acres for the AOC. After months of 
researching possible sites, the District proposed four options in 
August 2007. The two parties met in October 2007 to further discuss 
these options: that is, three options in the D.C Village area at the 
extreme southern tip of the District of Columbia and one option in 
Beltsville, Maryland. In May 2008, an AOC letter to the District stated 
that three of these options did not meet the AOC's needs, while a 
fourth option is still subject to further investigation as the AOC 
requested geotechnical, utility, and other information on the 
District's 12 acre wooded parcel at the southernmost edge of the DC 
village complex. According to AOC officials, the Beltsville site is too 
far away and has entry through small roads that will make access by 
large trucks difficult. These officials said that two options at D.C. 
Village will not work because the AOC already has plans for the 10.8 
unused acres at their current interim location that the District 
suggested be combined with additional land offered by the District. 
Negotiations to find agreement on a property of not more than 12 acres 
are ongoing. As part of the exchange agreement signed with GSA on 
January 17, the District must use its best efforts to complete the 
conveyance within 6 months. According to AOC officials, the 
identification and conveyance of a 12-acre District property to the AOC 
is not close to completion, and therefore the date of the District-GSA 
property conveyances is uncertain. 

The District and the Federal Government Must Complete Several Steps to 
Complete the Conveyances: 

The District Must Complete a Poplar Point Land-Use Plan before 
Conveyance: 

For the conveyance of Poplar Point to occur by the fall of 2009 as 
planned, the District must complete several steps to meet conditions in 
Public Law 109-396. For example, before Poplar Point can be conveyed, 
the District must complete a land-use plan that receives the approval 
of the Secretary of the Interior. The statute requires a land-use plan 
that: 

* reserves no fewer than 70 acres for park purposes; 

* identifies existing facilities and related property used by NPS, and 
provides for relocation to other suitable facilities and related 
property; 

* sets aside at least two sites within the designated parkland for 
commemorative works; and: 

* is consistent with the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan, to the 
greatest extent practicable. 

The District must consult with the NPS Director about the 
identification of existing and replacement facilities and properties 
for NPS. The Secretary of the Interior must certify that the statute's 
requirements for the land-use plan are met. 

The District and DOI Must Meet the Environmental Requirements of NEPA 
and CERCLA: 

The District and DOI must also meet all requirements of NEPA by 
considering the environmental impacts of their proposed actions at 
Poplar Point and reasonable alternatives to those actions. The NEPA 
process is designed to involve the public and gather the best available 
information so that decision makers can be fully informed when making 
their choices. At the end of the NEPA process, DOI will issue a record 
of decision selecting a preferred alternative at Poplar Point. District 
officials said that meeting NEPA requirements will likely take 12 to15 
months, which means that this process will not be completed until about 
the fall of 2009. In addition, the District anticipates that all CERCLA 
requirements will be fully explored during the NEPA process. The 
District issued a request for proposal (RFP) for NEPA consultants in 
the fall of 2007 and received three proposals on November 30. The 
District selected a NEPA consultant in February 2008. 

The District and the federal government must also meet the requirements 
of CERCLA. For contaminated DOI property, such as Reservations 343D, 
343E, and 298, the District and DOI have come to agreement about the 
process for reaching cleanup agreements for these properties, which 
they believe meets applicable requirements set forth in CERCLA 
governing the transfer of property by federal agencies. According to a 
senior NPS official and a senior District official, these cleanup 
agreements, once completed, will allow conveyances of the property from 
the Secretary of the Interior to the District before the property is 
remediated pursuant to the use of the so-called "deferral" or "early 
transfer alternative" set forth in CERCLA at 42 U.S.C. Â§9620(h)(3)(C). 
According to these officials, use of this option requires that the 
transferring federal agency, here the DOI, remain responsible for 
cleanup costs incurred post transfer. In addition, these officials also 
say that the District may recoup cleanup costs from other responsible 
parties, where appropriate, in the future. 

Property Currently Used by NPS Will Not Be Conveyed Until the NPS 
Director Certifies That Replacement Facilities Are Ready to Be 
Occupied: 

The facilities and related property currently used by NPS will not be 
conveyed until the NPS Director certifies that replacement facilities 
and related property are ready to be occupied or used by NPS. The NEPA 
and relocation processes together could take almost 3 years, according 
to the District government, NPS, and USPP, in part because construction 
of these facilities must wait for the aforementioned Secretary-approved 
land-use plan for the site. The current facilities encompass 100,000 
square feet; sit on approximately 18 acres; and include NPS National 
Capital Parks East Headquarters, the USPP Anacostia Operations 
Facility, and the USPP Aviation Unit. The District and NPS are still 
determining relocation plans for the facilities. Perhaps the most 
likely option, according to District and NPS officials, is to relocate 
the NPS offices; the offices for USPP District 5; and the other USPP 
facilities, including the canine unit and shooting range to the 
northern end of Poplar Point near the 11th Street Bridge. The USPP 
aviation unit would move to a yet-to-be identified site that meets the 
5-acre landing area and 10-acre safety zone requirement for their 
helicopter pad. The District reissued a request for proposals (RFP) for 
architecture and engineering firms for the facilities on December 3, 
2007, after an initial RFP in November received no responses. The 
District selected a firm in March 2008 to begin the design process. The 
selected contractor will work with NPS and USPP to design replacements 
for the NPS and USPP facilities currently located at Poplar Point. The 
District anticipates construction will take at least 18 to 24 months 
after the site is secured. Therefore, the relocation will not likely be 
complete until 2011. The District is restricted from initiating other 
construction until the NPS Director certifies that the facilities and 
associated property to which NPS is to be relocated are ready to 
occupy. Therefore, private development of Poplar Point is not likely to 
begin until 2011. NPS was evaluating the definition of what constitutes 
a "construction project" under the statute to determine which types of 
preconstruction work may be done prior to the completion of the 
replacement facilities. 

Limited Development Has Occurred on Properties Exchanged between the 
District of Columbia and the Federal Government: 

Limited development has occurred on property transferred or to be 
conveyed between the District and the federal government. Development 
of the two largest properties, Poplar Point and Reservation 13, to be 
conveyed between the District and the federal government is in its 
early stages and will likely take up to a decade to complete. As the 
largest properties to be conveyed, Poplar Point and Reservation 13 are 
planned to have the most development and, thus, are likely to generate 
most of the tax revenue to reduce the District's structural fiscal 
imbalance. Development of the other exchanged properties, to the extent 
applicable, is also in its early stages and will take many years to 
complete as the District and the federal government develop plans for 
use of each property. 

Commercial and Residential Development of Poplar Point Will Not Likely 
Begin until 2011: 

Poplar Point is the most significant development opportunity involved 
in the land exchange with the federal government and on the District's 
waterfront. The District government envisions Poplar Point, which is a 
110-acre DOI/NPS property east of the Anacostia River (see fig. 2), as 
a mixed-use development that features a 70-acre waterfront park serving 
as a green gateway to the Anacostia River and a series of river parks. 
District plans envision residential development at Poplar Point to help 
reconnect the historic Anacostia neighborhood back to the river that 
shares its name. The District says that the Anacostia Waterfront 
Framework Plan guides its vision for the site. As we have previously 
discussed, Poplar Point's conveyance is not likely to occur until the 
fall of 2009 because a number of conditions, such as the development of 
a Secretary-approved land-use plan, must be met before the entire 
conveyance can occur. 

Figure 2: Aerial View of the Poplar Point Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Poplar Point 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

To develop the vision for Poplar Point's future and help devise 
alternative development scenarios for the NEPA process, the District 
selected a Master Developer for the site in February 2008. The Master 
Developer's vision for Poplar Point includes 1.5 million square feet of 
office space, 3.8 million square feet of residential units, 405,000 
square feet of retail space, 70 acres of parks, a waterfront 
entertainment district, a deck over I-295 to connect the site with 
Historic Downtown Anacostia, and an option for a soccer stadium (see 
fig. 3). The District has required that at least 51 percent of the new 
jobs created as a part of the development go to District residents. In 
addition, the project must include affordable housing, and 35 percent 
of the contracting dollars must be awarded to small and local 
businesses. This Master Developer will be part of a long-term 
collaborative planning and development process with the community, 
according to the District. An EIS consultant will work with the 
District, the Master Developer, and NPS to create a stakeholder 
engagement process that will comply with the requirements of NEPA. The 
District worked with NPS and USPP to select an architectural and 
engineering firm in March 2008 to design replacement facilities for the 
NPS and USPP facilities located on Poplar Point. According to a senior 
District official, commercial and residential construction will not 
likely begin on the site until 2011, and development will take many 
years, perhaps up to a decade. 

Figure 3: Master Developer's Vision of Poplar Point: 

This figure is a picture of a master developer's vision of Poplar 
Point. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: Clark Realty Capital (artist's rendering). 

[End of figure] 

The District Envisions Mixed-Use Development for Reservation 13 in 
Accordance with the Master Plan for the Site: 

Current plans call for Reservation 13, a 67-acre property along the 
shores of the Anacostia River at the southeastern end of Capitol Hill, 
to be transformed into an urban multiuse waterfront district that is in 
accordance with the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan and the Hill 
East Master Plan approved by the D.C. Council in 2002 (see fig. 
4).[Footnote 9] Once complete, DMPED expects that the site can 
accommodate about 3,000 new units of housing for residents at all 
income levels, nearly 5.5 million square feet of mixed-use development, 
new public park spaces, and more than $80 million in new infrastructure 
upgrades. The District intends for the project to create thousands of 
new permanent jobs and construction jobs. The District's correctional 
facilities will remain on the site, along with Anne Archbold Hall, 
which was recently made a historic landmark.[Footnote 10] 

Figure 4: Aerial View of the Reservation 13 Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Reservation 13 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: GSA. 

[End of figure] 

The District has completed or is in the process of completing a number 
of development activities at Reservation 13, even though the site has 
yet to convey. For example, the District has completed several design 
activities for the site, including 100 percent of the interim plaza and 
90 percent of Phase I infrastructure design drawings. Over the last few 
months, the District has begun construction on an interim plaza 
adjacent to the southern Stadium/Armory Metrorail Station and planning 
for the extension of Massachusetts Avenue. The District has remediated 
and selected a contractor to demolish Building 25, but the bulk of the 
buildings will be remediated and demolished by the Master Developer. 
The District issued a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) for a 
Master Developer in May 2008 and expects to select one for Reservation 
13 by the end of 2008. Completion of 100 percent of Phase I 
infrastructure design is expected by August 2008, and construction 
should begin in the fall of 2008. Development of Reservation 13 may 
take as long as a decade. 

The District Plans to Develop Other Exchanged Properties Commercially 
and Residentially, While Using Some of These Properties for Parks, 
Recreation, or Other Public Uses: 

Development of the other exchanged properties, to the extent 
applicable, is also in its early stages. The District has commercial or 
residential redevelopment plans for at least part of two conveyed NPS 
and GSA properties beyond Poplar Point and Reservation 13 (see table 
2). For example, some of the Potomac Avenue triangles (Reservations 
243, 244, and 245) are properties targeted for commercial and 
residential development in conjunction with the baseball stadium, while 
Reservation 247 is part of the new baseball stadium. Also, Reservation 
248, just east of the Nationals baseball stadium, will be developed by 
the group currently redeveloping the Southeast Federal Center and will 
include the proposed Diamond Teague Park, which is part of the 
Anacostia Riverwalk Trail (see fig. 5). Construction of residential and 
office space is expected to begin within 2 years of the conveyance of 
this property. 

Table 2: Proposed Land Uses of Properties Going to the District 
(Includes Poplar Point and Reservation 13): 

Proposed use: Residential and/or commercial development; 
Number of properties with this use as a component: 4. 

Proposed use: Local public facility; 
Number of properties with this use as a component: 4. 

Proposed use: Parks, recreation, and open space; 
Number of properties with this use as a component: 12. 

Proposed use: Road construction/realignment; 
Number of properties with this use as a component: 5. 

Source: GAO analysis of District data. 

Note: Some properties' plans propose multiple uses and are counted more 
than once. See table 1 for a list of the individual properties and 
their proposed uses. 

[End of table] 

Figure 5: Aerial View of the Potomac Avenue Triangles Properties 
(Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248): 

This figure is an aerial view of the Potomac Avenue Triangles 
properties (Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Twelve properties will be used as open space, parks, or for 
recreational uses. For example, the Boathouse Row properties (portions 
of Reservations 343D and 343E), 12-and 6-acre properties located on the 
western shores of the Anacostia River, will be used for recreational 
uses (see fig. 6). Currently classified as land with a light industrial 
use, according to District and NPS officials, portions of Reservation 
334D required a more stringent cleanup agreement than previously 
existed between Washington Gas and NPS because the District intends to 
change the land use from light industrial to recreational. The District 
issued a request for proposals in December 2007 to select a firm to 
assist in the creation of a master plan for these properties with the 
goal of increasing use of and access to the Anacostia River, while 
expanding opportunities for maritime development. The District selected 
a planning firm in April 2008. This planning effort is under way and 
expected to be completed by the end of September 2008. In addition, 
construction of the Riverwalk Trail is under way and the portions along 
Boathouse Row are expected to be completed in late 2008. 

Figure 6: Aerial View of the Boathouse Row Properties (Portions of 
Reservations 343D and 343E): 

This figure is picture of an aerial view of the Boathouse Row 
properties (portions of Reservations 343D and 343E). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

Note: This photo of the Boathouse Row properties captures NPS's version 
of the property to be conveyed as the unhighlighted notch along the 
Anacostia River is the current site of the Corps debris removal 
facility. According to a senior District official, the exact boundaries 
of the property to be conveyed have not been resolved. 

[End of figure] 

In addition, the Eastern Market properties (Reservations 44 to 49), 
located next to the Eastern Market metro station, will be rehabilitated 
and enhanced to create a gateway and link to a recently renovated 
commercial strip along 8th Street, SE, called Barracks Row (see fig. 
7). Reservations 721, 722, and 723 will be reconfigured as parks or 
streets for the Waterside Mall redevelopment, which is currently under 
way. Reservation 174 is a 0.25 acre property located at New York Avenue 
and 11th Street, NW, to be conveyed from the Secretary of the Interior 
to the District, whose conveyance is conditioned on the District's 
enacting a final plan for the development of the former Convention 
Center Site. The plan must be developed through a public process and 
set aside no fewer than 1.25 acres of the former Convention Center Site 
as open space. The Reservation 174 triangle will remain open space to 
complement the surrounding residential and commercial development. 
Reservations 128, 129, 130, 298, and 299 are triangles located on 
Virginia Avenue that will be reconfigured into usable open space in 
conjunction with the redevelopment of adjacent private property, in 
accordance with the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan. 

Figure 7: Aerial View of the Eastern Market Properties (Reservations 44 
to 49): 

This figure is picture of an aerial view of the Easter Market 
properties (Reservations 44 to 49). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

The District will use at least part of four conveyed properties for 
other public uses. For example, the Old Naval Hospital, an almost 0.75 
acre property in southeast D.C. near Capitol Hill conveyed from GSA to 
the District, will be developed into a community center to be used for 
educational classes, lectures, recitals, art shows, and community 
events and will be operated by the Hill Center/Old Naval Hospital 
Foundation (see fig. 8). 

Figure 8: The Old Naval Hospital Property: 

This figure is a picture of the Old Naval Hospital property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: GAO. 

[End of figure] 

The community center is scheduled for opening in early 2010. Also, GSA 
plans to use the five buildings on the St. Elizabeths campus for 
federal use, as part of the proposed Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS) headquarters. For example, Building 37 Hitchcock Hall, will be 
used as a DHS conference center. All of the exchanged properties are 
discussed in more detail in appendix II. 

Some Land Transfers Provided Management Efficiency Benefits to both the 
District and the Federal Government: 

The transfer of many properties between the District and the federal 
government provided management efficiencies for both parties. The 
Secretary of the Interior transferred the jurisdiction of Reservations 
277A and 277C (North Capitol, Florida, and Lincoln Streets); 404 (Canal 
Road); portions of 470 (Fort Reno Park); and 8 (Mount Vernon Square), 
which were underutilized properties under NPS management, to provide 
the District with continuity of management benefits or the interest to 
properly maintain them. For example, Reservation 8, which the United 
States continues to own although jurisdiction has been transferred to 
the District, surrounds the City Museum (Carnegie Library), which the 
District owns (see fig. 9). This transfer provides uniform 
administration and more efficient management of the entire square by 
the District. The District, on the other hand, transferred properties, 
such as portions of Audubon Terrace, NW (Reservation 402), and Barnaby 
Street, NW (Reservation 545), to the Secretary of the Interior for 
administration by the NPS Director to ensure that planned streets that 
were originally contemplated to bisect NPS parkland will never be built 
(see fig. 10). Senior NPS officials commented that these transfers can 
be seen as improving management efficiency, since most surrounding land 
is NPS parkland and NPS would no longer have to be concerned about the 
construction of new streets. 

Figure 9: Aerial View of the Mount Vernon Square Property (Reservation 
8): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Mount Vernon Square 
property (Reservation 8). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Figure 10: Aerial View of the Audubon Terrace Property (Reservation 
402): 

This figure is an aerial view of the Audobon Terrace property 
(Reservation 402). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

The District of Columbia and the Federal Government Face Challenges 
Going Forward as the District Begins Development: 

The District and the federal government face challenges as the District 
moves forward to develop or manage the transferred or to be conveyed 
properties. For example, cleanup and development uncertainties will 
likely affect the timeliness of property development at Poplar Point. 
Other challenges facing the District include (1) transitioning the 
Deputy Mayor's Office from policymaking and oversight roles to the lead 
in coordinating development, a function that has not been the Deputy 
Mayor's Office core business, and (2) reaching community agreement 
about development at Poplar Point. 

Cleanup and Development Uncertainties May Affect the Timeliness of the 
Development of Poplar Point: 

Cleanup and development uncertainties may affect the timeliness of the 
development of Poplar Point. These uncertainties include the: 

* extent and location of cleanup required,[Footnote 11] 

* cost of environmental cleanup, 

* determination of responsibility for paying for the environmental 
cleanup,[Footnote 12] 

* potential complications of relocating U.S. Park Police facilities on 
Poplar Point, and: 

* amount of construction that is allowed prior to the Secretary of the 
Interior's determination that NPS facilities are ready to be occupied. 

The District is conducting a series of environmental assessments on the 
Poplar Point site, the completion of which should begin to clarify the 
cleanup issues. One senior NPS official said that multiple government 
agencies could be responsible for contamination on the site. The 
District's current plan is to complete the necessary cleanup and then 
seek reimbursement from the responsible federal agencies. According to 
District and NPS officials, the federal government is potentially 
responsible for the majority of the costs of the cleanup on Poplar 
Point, the scope of which is still in the process of being determined. 
Any contamination that is found in areas where residential construction 
is planned could delay the progress of construction until the cleanup 
is finished or construction plans are modified. If cleanup costs for 
the site are higher than expected, delays could result if funding is 
not available. In addition, if significant federal funding is needed by 
the District to complete the cleanup, a negative impact on future 
agency budgets is possible. The quicker the District is able to develop 
property such as Poplar Point, the more quickly the District will 
potentially be able to reduce the structural fiscal imbalance that it 
faces. 

According to a senior NPS official and a senior USPP official, 
replacing U.S. Park Police facilities may be complicated and might 
affect the timeliness of the conveyance of the Poplar Point site to the 
District, which in turn will affect when development on the site 
begins. Replacing the NPS National Capital Parks Headquarters East 
facilities should be relatively straightforward because the building is 
an ordinary office building, but the replacement of USPP facilities 
will be more challenging. For example, according to a senior NPS 
official and a senior USPP official, USPP needs space for helicopter 
landings and a firing range. These facilities have flight space, noise, 
and safety implications that will affect neighbors substantially, 
therefore the District and DOI will require community input. The 
process could make identifying a site difficult and delay the 
conveyance. In addition, a senior USPP official said that USPP prefers 
that the motorcycle and special event units remain close to downtown 
because even a mile or two difference can affect response times. USPP's 
preference could complicate site identification. 

The timeliness of the conveyance of the Poplar Point site to the 
District for development may also be affected by the legal 
interpretation of the statute's restriction on the initiation of 
construction projects on Poplar Point. Under the statute, existing NPS 
facilities and properties must be withheld from conveyance until the 
NPS Director certifies that the facilities and related property to 
which NPS is to be relocated are ready to be used and occupied by NPS. 
The District may not initiate any construction project on Poplar Point, 
except for any required to prepare facilities for occupation by NPS, 
until the NPS Director makes this certification. However, what 
qualifies as a "construction project" and what various types of 
preconstruction work, utility relocation, soil-boring, or environmental 
remediation would be allowed, is unclear, according to a senior NPS 
official. NPS lawyers were examining this issue at the time of our 
review. Therefore, the definition of "construction project" that is 
ultimately decided upon will impact the speed of development and what 
could be completed concurrently. A senior NPS official stated that NPS 
wants to ensure that NPS and USPP have no disruption of operations 
while they remain at their current facilities, which may further limit 
activities on-site before the relocation. For example, he said that he 
would not be comfortable with the District's working on the utilities 
on which NPS and USPP currently rely. 

The Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development is 
Transitioning from Policy-making and Oversight Roles to the Lead in 
Coordinating Development: 

With the dissolution of AWC and NCRC and the transfer of their 
functions to DMPED, this office faces the challenge of moving from 
policy-making and oversight roles to the lead in coordinating 
development--taking on responsibilities that had not been DMPED's core 
business. For example, DMPED is moving from overseeing the activities 
of AWC and NCRC to actually being responsible for hiring master 
developers, NEPA consultants, and architecture and engineering firms 
and for managing their work. District officials told us that they 
believe they can succeed because the transition has included the 
integration of many former AWC and NCRC employees. NPS officials also 
spoke positively about interactions with senior District officials and 
their seeming ability to achieve results. Some stakeholders, including 
local community groups, one D.C. Council member, and a Ward 8 economic 
development organization, have expressed concern about whether the 
District has enough personnel to efficiently manage the District's 
development projects given all of the construction projects under way 
throughout the city. For example, a community group and an economic 
development organization said that DMPED, as a result of the AWC 
dissolution, has over 100 development projects to manage across the 
city, and they expressed concern that some projects would end up 
receiving less priority and be delayed as other development projects 
progressed. A D.C. Council member expressed concern that putting $10 
billion worth of development under the direct purview of the mayor may 
be overwhelming, given all of the mayor's other responsibilities. Other 
stakeholders, including a representative for a D.C. Council member and 
an environmental community group, noted that the District had recently 
dissolved two development authorities, AWC and NCRC, because they were 
generally considered to be ineffective. These stakeholders maintained 
that it was probably too early to tell whether the District's current 
structure to manage development and construction throughout the city 
would be effective.[Footnote 13] 

Reaching Community Agreement about How to Develop Poplar Point and 
Other Properties Could Be a Challenge: 

Another challenge could be reaching community agreement about how to 
develop some of the properties. Reaching community agreement at any of 
the sites could be a challenge, but particularly at Poplar Point 
because of the size of the potential development and the millions of 
dollars at stake. According to most stakeholders, including several 
community groups and the D.C. Council's Ward 8 representative, Ward 8 
residents want affordable housing; commercial amenities, such as retail 
stores, restaurants, and grocery stores; and community benefit packages 
for Ward 8, such as jobs and business preferences. However, opinion is 
divided on whether a soccer stadium should be a part of Poplar Point's 
development. Some stakeholders, including the District community groups 
One D.C. and the D.C. Association of Community Organizations for Reform 
Now, believe that the stadium is not a priority for members of the Ward 
8 community. Others, including the Ward 7 and Ward 8 D.C. Council 
members and a President of an Anacostia economic development 
organization, disagree and believe that the survey is not indicative of 
the true sentiment of Ward 8 residents. Some maintain that a stadium 
has community support and could transform Anacostia in a way that 
retail amenities could not, by bringing in citizens who would not 
otherwise travel to and spend money in the area. As a result of these 
varying views, incorporating community input such that development at 
Poplar Point meets the needs and concerns of much of the community in 
an equitable and timely manner will be a challenge as the District 
develops the largest unimproved property currently remaining in the 
District. 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation: 

We provided a draft of this report to the District of Columbia, DOI, 
GSA, and the AOC for review and comment. DOI and GSA agreed with our 
major findings and provided technical comments and clarifications, 
which we incorporated as appropriate. DOI's comments are contained in 
appendix III. The District and AOC did not comment on our overall 
findings, but provided technical comments and clarifications via e-mail 
which we incorporated as appropriate. AOC officials also expressed 
concern that even though all transfers of administrative jurisdiction 
occurred on December 15, 2006, the AOC has not received supporting 
instruments (deeds) of transfer, including surveys and legal 
descriptions, from the District. 

We are sending copies of this report to the congressional committees 
identified in the mandate, the Administrator of General Services, the 
Architect of the Capitol, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Mayor 
of the District of Columbia. We will also make copies available to 
others upon request. In addition, the report will be available at no 
charge on GAO's Web site at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov]. 

If you or your staffs have any questions about this report, please 
contact me at (202) 512-6923 or [email protected]. Contact points for our 
Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on 
the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to 
this report are listed in appendix IV. 

Terrell Dorn Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues: 

List of Congressional Committees: 

The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Susan M. Collins: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Henry A. Waxman: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Tom Davis: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: 
House of Representatives: 

The Honorable John D. Dingell: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Joe Barton: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Energy and Commerce: 
House of Representatives: 

The Honorable Nick Rahall: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Don Young: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Natural Resources: 
House of Representatives: 

The Honorable James L. Oberstar: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable John L. Mica: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: 
House of Representatives: 

[End of section] 

Appendix I: The Federal Government and the District of Columbia 
Property Conveyances and Transfers in Public Law 109-396: 

Conveyances from the General Services Administration (GSA) to the 
District of Columbia (District) (Section 101(a)(1)): 

1. U.S. Reservation 13: 

2. Old Naval Hospital: 

Conveyance from the District to GSA (Section 101(c)): 

1. Building Numbers 16, 37, 38, 118, and 118A (and underlying real 
property) on the West Campus of St. Elizabeths: 

Transfers of Administrative Jurisdiction from the District to the 
Secretary of the Interior (Section 201(a)(1)): 

1. An unimproved portion of Audubon Terrace, NW (within U.S. 
Reservation 402): 

2. An unimproved portion of Barnaby Street, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 
545): 

3. A portion of Canal Street, SW, and V St., SW (abuts U.S. Reservation 
467): 

4. Unimproved streets and Alleys at Fort Circle Park (within U.S. 
Reservation 497): 

5. An unimproved portion of Western Avenue, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 
339): 

6. An unimproved portion of 17th Street, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 
339): 

7. An unimproved portion of 30th Street, NW (within U.S. Reservation 
515): 

8. Land over I-395 bounded by Washington Avenue, SW, 2nd Street, SW, 
and the C Street, SW, ramps to I-295 (for Memorial to Disabled 
Veterans): 

9. A portion of U.S. Reservation 357 at Whitehaven Parkway, NW: 

Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction from the District to the 
Architect of the Capitol (AOC) (Section 201(a)(3)(A)): 

1. Additional land over I-395 (see #8 above) a. Northernmost 0.249 
acres to NPS with approval of the AOC (for special needs parking) b. 
Remaining portion to the AOC: 

Transfers of Administrative Jurisdiction from the Secretary of the 
Interior to the District (Section 201(b)): 

1. A portion of U.S. Reservation 451: 

2. A portion of U.S. Reservation 404: 

3. U.S. Reservations 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49: 

4. U.S. Reservation 251: 

5. U.S. Reservation 8: 

6. U.S. Reservations 277A and 277C: 

7. Portions of U.S. Reservation 470: 

Conveyances from the District to the Secretary of the Interior (Section 
202(b)): 

1. Lovers Lane, NW (abuts U.S. Reservation 324): 

2. Needwood, Niagara, and Pitt Sts., NW (within C&O Canal National 
Historic Park): 

Conveyances from the Secretary of the Interior to the District (Section 
202(c)(1-6), 203, and 301)): 

1. U.S. Reservation 17A: 

2. U.S. Reservation 484: 

3. U.S. Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248: 

4. U.S. Reservations 128, 129, 130, 298, and 299: 

5. Portions of U.S. Reservations 343D and 343E: 

6. U.S. Reservations 721, 722, and 723: 

7. U.S. Reservation 174 (former Convention Center Site): 

8. Poplar Point (The District must find new sites for NPS facilities or 
those facilities stay): 

Conveyance from the District to the AOC (Section 204): 

1. Not more than 12 acres of property chosen by the District and 
approved by the AOC; if selected property is held by the Department of 
the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior must approve: 

[End of section] 

Appendix II: Description of Properties to Be Conveyed and Transferred 
between the District of Columbia and Federal Government: 

Property Name: Poplar Point: 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service (NPS): 

Property Acreage: Approximately 110 acres: 

Property Location: East side of the Anacostia River across from the 
Washington Naval Yard and the site of the new baseball stadium. The 
property is bounded on the north by the Anacostia River, on the 
northeast by and inclusive of the southeast approaches of the 11th 
Street bridges, on the southeast by and inclusive of I-295, and on the 
northwest by and inclusive of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge 
approaches to Suitland Parkway. 

Ward: 8: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 301: 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: NPS currently manages this property as part of 
Anacostia Park. In addition to 60 acres of managed meadow and several 
sports fields, the site also includes the U.S .Park Police Aviation 
Section Facility, the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility, 
and the National Capital Parks-East Headquarters. Poplar Point also 
contains an area formerly occupied from 1927 to1993 by two nurseries, 
the D.C. Lanham Tree Nursery and the Architect of the Capitol Nursery, 
which left behind pesticides and other pollutants. Lastly, 
infrastructure for the 11th Street and Frederick Douglass bridges 
covers portions of the site on the perimeter of Poplar Point. The 
District has a long-range plan to move the Frederick Douglass Bridge, 
freeing-up additional land on Poplar Point, by about 2015. Conveyance 
of title to the District will permit redevelopment of the property by 
the District consistent with the November 2003 Anacostia Waterfront 
Framework Plan. The conveyance is subject to a number of terms, 
including those related to a deed restriction that 70 acres be used for 
park purposes, the completion of a land-use plan, the setting aside of 
sites for potential memorials, and the relocation of existing NPS and 
USPP facilities. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: Fall 2009 (excluding NPS and USPP 
facilities): 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space; Local Public 
Facilities; High Density Residential and Commercial: 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined, but likely up 
to a decade: 

Figure 11: Aerial View of the Poplar Point Property: 

This figure is a picture of the aerial view of the Poplar Point 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservation 13 (Hill East Waterfront): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: General Services Administration (GSA): 

Property Acreage: Approximately 67 acres: 

Property Location: Along western shore of Anacostia River, south of RFK 
stadium. This property is bounded by Independence Avenue, SE, to the 
north; 19th Street, SE, to the west; G Street, SE, to the south; and 
U.S. Reservation 343 to the east. 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 101(a)(1)(A): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: Reservation 13 has been occupied by District of 
Columbia institutional uses since the 1850s and currently includes the 
D.C. Jail, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), 
the remains of D.C. General Hospital, and several active health-care 
agency functions. GSA transferred administrative jurisdiction to the 
District in 2002 with a number of conditions, including reserving the 
right-of-way to continue Massachusetts Avenue to the waterfront; 
maintaining the presence of CSOSA; and stipulating that if the District 
wanted to lease a portion of land for 15 years or longer, the city must 
verify the lease with GSA. Conveyance of title will give the District 
flexibility that it does not presently have, in land use and multi-use 
development, as well as private development. Over the last few months, 
the District has begun construction on an interim plaza adjacent to the 
southern Stadium/Armory Metrorail Station and planning for the 
extension of Massachusetts Avenue. The District has also remediated and 
selected a contractor to demolish Building 25; however, the other 
buildings will be remediated and demolished by the Master Developer. 
The District expects to issue a request for expressions of interest for 
a Master Developer in May 2008 and select one by the end of 2008. While 
initial construction on Reservation 13 may begin by the end of 2008, 
construction may not be completed until 2018. The conveyance is 
included in the exchange agreement signed by the District and GSA on 
January 17, 2008, and awaits resolution of the AOC conveyance for the 
deal to be complete. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: Uncertain: 

Proposed Use: Medium Density Commercial; Local Public Facilities; Road 
Extension: 

Estimated Development Completion: Approximately 2018: 

Figure 12: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 13 Property (Hill East 
Waterfront): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservation 13 
property (Hill East Waterfront). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: General Services Administration. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Old Naval Hospital (Lot 802, Square 948): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: General Services Administration: 

Property Acreage: 0.705 acres: 

Property Location: 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 101(a)(1)(B): 

Property Status: Uncertain: 

Property Description: Built in 1864, this site, known as Old Naval 
Hospital served as a Navy hospital until 1911, then a boarding house 
for veterans pursuing pension claims. GSA transferred administrative 
jurisdiction of the property, together with the 15,187 square foot 
antebellum brick house and 2,200 square foot carriage house to the 
District in 1962. The District neglected the building to the point of 
decay. Conveyance of title will allow the District to obtain capital 
investment to renovate the property for adaptive reuse. In August 2007, 
the District selected the Old Naval Hospital Foundation's plan for the 
Hill Center, a community center that will offer a variety of lifelong 
learning opportunities, as well as providing meeting and performance 
space for community groups and office space for neighborhood 
nonprofits. The D.C. Office of Property Management is currently 
negotiating a long-term ground lease with the Hill Center/Old Naval 
Hospital Foundation, and the center is scheduled to open in early 2010. 
Community groups have expressed support for the project. The conveyance 
is included in the exchange agreement signed by the District and GSA on 
January 17, 2008, and awaits resolution of the AOC conveyance for the 
deal to be complete. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: Uncertain date in 2008: 

Proposed Use: Community Center: 

Estimated Development Completion: 2010 - Hill Center opens: 

Figure 13: Aerial View of the Old Naval Hospital Property (Lot 802, 
Square 948): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Old Navy Hospital 
property (Lot 802, Square 948). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: General Services Administration. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: St. Elizabeths West Campus: Buildings Numbers 16, 37, 
38, 118, and 118A: 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: General Services Administration: 

Entity Conveying Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 6.55 acres: 

Property Location: Buildings are scattered throughout the site. St. 
Elizabeths is bounded by Martin Luther King Avenue on the east, South 
Capitol Street and I-295 on the west, the Barry Farm residential 
community on the north, and National Park Service Shepherd Parkway land 
and the Congress Heights residential community on the south. 

Ward: 8: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 101(c): 

Property Status: Conveyance pending: 

Property Description: Building numbers 16, 37, 38, 118, and 118A, 
located on the 176-acre, 61 building, St. Elizabeths West Campus in 
Anacostia are to be conveyed from the District to the Administrator of 
GSA. Ownership of the five buildings will give GSA the ability to 
comprehensively reuse and develop the site for the planned Department 
of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters consolidation. The District 
vacated the buildings in 2004. Building 16, the Pumping Station, will 
be needed until the water service is upgraded, after which it will 
likely be demolished to fit the needs of the site master plan. Building 
37, Hitchcock Hall, will be renovated and used as a DHS conference 
center. Building 38, Hagen Hall, will also be renovated for campus-wide 
use, likely related to the conference and training center at 
neighboring Building 37. Buildings 118 and 118a, known as the 
Warehouse, are to be demolished as part of the site for a new Coast 
Guard Headquarters building. The conveyance of title is included in the 
exchange agreement signed by the District and GSA on January 17, 2008, 
and awaits resolution of the Architect of the Capitol conveyance for 
the deal to be complete. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: Uncertain: 

Proposed Use: Part of proposed Department of Homeland Security 
Headquarters: 

Estimated Development Completion: 2015: 

Figure 14: Aerial View of the St. Elizabeths West Campus: Building 
Numbers 16, 37, 38, 118, and 118A: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the St. Elizabeths West 
Campus: Building Numbers 16, 37, 38, 118, and 118A. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: General Services Administration. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservation 17A (Trash Transfer Station): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 1.273 acres: 

Property Location: This property is bounded by New Jersey Avenue, Canal 
Street and 2nd Street SE: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(c)(1): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: The site was transferred to the District for 
trash disposal purposes in 1947. Conveyance of title will permit the 
District to implement redevelopment plans for a high density commercial 
and residential use, as well as reinstitute the street grid of I 
Street. This development would complement the neighboring redevelopment 
of the former Capper/Carrollsburg public housing project. The District 
plans to complete all underground storm drainage and utilities work 
within 12 months after conveyance and commence construction of 
residential and office space within 24 months after conveyance. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: High Density Commercial; Road Realignment: 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 15: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 17A Property (Trash 
Transfer Station): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservation 17A 
property (Trash Transfer Station). 

[See PDF for image] 

National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservation 484 (Randall Recreation Center): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 8.508 acres: 

Property Location: 65 I Street, SW: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(c)(2): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: This property at Randall Recreation Center and 
park was transferred to the District for recreation purposes in 1973. 
The District intends to use the land for park, recreation, and open 
space uses. The property adjoins the Randall School purchased by the 
Corcoran Gallery of Art for development of art studios, classrooms, and 
residential units. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 16: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 484 Property (Randall 
Recreation Center): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservation 484 
property (Randall Recreation Center). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248 (Potomac 
Avenue Triangles): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 2.69 acres (243 - 0.47; 244 - 0.48; 245 - 0.55; 247 - 
0.51; 248 - 0.68): 

Property Location: Along Potomac Avenue, SW and SE, between 2nd Street, 
SW, and 2nd Street, SE: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(c)(3): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: These five triangles along Potomac Avenue were 
transferred to the District for highway purposes in 1944. Reservations 
243 and 245 are currently open space. A salt dome currently occupies 
Reservation 244. A WASA storage facility occupies Reservation 248. 
Reservation 247 is under the new baseball stadium and, thus, has 
already been redeveloped. According to D.C. government plans, the rest 
of the triangles will be part of the commercial and residential 
redevelopment around the baseball stadium. Reservation 248 will include 
part of the Anacostia Riverwalk. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: High and Medium Density Commercial and Residential; Local 
Public Facilities (Baseball Stadium): 

Estimated Development Estimated Development Completion: In March 2008, 
Nationals' Baseball Stadium, partly located on Reservation 247, opened. 
Development completion dates on the other reservations are yet to be 
determined. 

Figure 17: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 243, 244, 245, 247, and 248 
(Potomac Avenue Triangles): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservations 
243, 244, 245, 247, and 248 (Potomac Avenue Triangles). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservations 128, 129, 130, 298, and 299 (Virginia 
Avenue Triangles): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 0.96 acre (128 - 0.21; 129 - 0.35; 130 - 0.12; 298 - 
0.10; 299 - 0.18): 

Property Location: Along M Street and Water Street, SE, where Virginia 
Avenue would extend: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(c)(4): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: Conveyance of title will allow the District to 
reconfigure these small triangles into useable open space in 
conjunction with the redevelopment of adjacent private property in 
accordance with the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan. Reservation 
298 contains contamination from a neighboring property formerly 
occupied by a coal to liquid facility operated by Washington Gas. 
Because the District desires a future recreational use requiring a more 
stringent clean-up, the District and NPS recently agreed on the process 
of how to come to a cleanup agreement with Washington Gas to modify the 
previous environmental remediation efforts. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (in conjunction with 
adjacent development): 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 18: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 128, 129, 130, 298, and 299 
(Virginia Avenue Triangles): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservations 
128, 129, 130, 298, and 299 (Virginia Avenue Triangles). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Portions of U.S. Reservations 343D and 343E (Boathouse 
Row): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: Approximately 19 acres (343D - 13 acres; 343E - 6.34 
acres): 

Property Location: This property is bordered by the Anacostia River on 
the east; Water Street, SE, and M Street, SE, to the west; 11th Street, 
SE, and 11th Street Bridges to the south; and the Anacostia River and 
CSX Railroad Bridge to the north. 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(c)(5): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: A narrow stretch of Anacostia Park along the 
western shore of the Anacostia River, these properties are currently 
occupied by District Public Works facilities; U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (Corps) facilities; District Water and Sewer facilities; 
Anacostia Community Boathouse Association, Inc; Washington Yacht Club; 
District Yacht Club; Eastern Power Boat Club; Seafarers Boat Club; and 
the Anacostia Marina. The District plans to enhance the park qualities 
of the properties to become a "Boathouse Row," which would accommodate 
various waterfront recreation activities, including boating, and a 
portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk trail. Conveyance of title to the 
District will provide the opportunity for the District to redevelop and 
enhance the marina, which cannot be achieved under NPS authorities. 
Portions of both parcels contain environmental contamination, 343D from 
a neighboring property formerly occupied by a coal-to-liquid facility 
operated by Washington Gas and Reservation 343E as a result of the 
prior operations of the Anacostia Marina. Because the District wants a 
future recreational use requiring a more stringent cleanup, recent 
District and NPS agreements for Reservations 298 and 343D outline how 
the Washington Gas remediation plan for Reservations 343D and 298 will 
be modified to meet the requirements of applicable law and take into 
account the District's proposed changes in land use. The inclusion in 
the conveyance of a small notch within Reservation 343D, occupied by 
the Corps facilities is the subject of disagreement between the 
District, NPS, and the Corps. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: 2011: 

Figure 19: Aerial View of Portions of U.S. Reservations 343D and 343E 
(Boathouse Row): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of portions of the U.S. 
Reservations 343D and 343E (Boathouse Row). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservations 721, 722, and 723 (Waterside Mall): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 3.248 acres (721 - 1.132; 722 - 1.490; 723 - 0.626): 

Property Location: This property is bordered by I Street, SW, to the 
north; 3rd Street, SW, to the east: K Street, SW, to the south; and 6th 
Street, SW, to the west. 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(c)(6): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: Three reservations at Waterside Mall were created 
as urban parks as part of the southwest urban renewal in the 1970s. 
Conveyance of title will provide the District with an opportunity to 
reconfigure the property in association with the private redevelopment 
of Waterside Mall. Reservations 721 and 723 will be used as parks, 
while Reservation 722 will include the extension of 4th Street, SW. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space; Road Realignment: 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 20: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 721, 722, and 723 
(Waterside Mall): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservations 
721, 722, and 723 (Waterside Mall). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservation 174 (Old Convention Center; Lot 849, 
Square 374): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Conveying Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 0.31 acre: 

Property Location: Northwest corner of the Old Convention Center site. 
This property is bordered by New York Avenue, NW, to the north; 10th 
St., NW, (to be built) to the east; I Street, NW, (to be built) to the 
south; and 11th St., NW, to the west. 

Ward: 2: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 203: 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: A 13,500 square foot reservation at New York 
Avenue and 11th Street, NW, NPS transferred Reservation 174 to the 
District in the 1970s as part of the site for the Old Convention 
Center, with the condition that it was to remain as open space adjacent 
to the structure. The law conditions conveyance of title to the 
District upon completion of a final plan for the Old Convention Center 
site through a public planning process, the consideration of an 
alternative that maintains Reservation 174 as open space, and the final 
plans inclusion of 1.25 acres of open space. In compliance with these 
conditions, the District proposed a triangular-shaped park on 
Reservation 174. This new park will be created in conjunction with the 
reopening of 10th and I Streets which border the property. In May 2007, 
the National Capital Planning Commission commented favorably on the 
concept design for the new park. The District expects conveyance of 
this property to occur shortly and separately, as permitted under the 
law, from the other conveyances between the District and DOI. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: June 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (part of High Density 
Development): 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 21: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 174 Property (Old 
Convention Center; Lot 849, Square 374): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. U.S. Reservation 
174 Property (Old Convention Center; Lot 849, Square 374). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Lovers Lane, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Conveying Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 0.52 acre: 

Property Location: North of R Street, NW; between Dumbarton Oaks and 
Reservation 324 (Montrose Park): 

Ward: 2: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(b)(1): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: This property is a one-block-long former roadway 
located adjacent to Montrose Park and Dumbarton Oaks, owned by Harvard 
University. The conveyance will facilitate elimination of the unused 
roadbed and would provide NPS and Dumbarton Oaks with sufficient 
interests to perform maintenance along walls and other park facilities 
adjacent to the roadway. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 22: Aerial View of the Lovers Lane, NW, Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Lovers Lane, NW, 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Needwood, Niagara, and Pitt Streets, NW (C&O Canal 
National Historic Park): 

Type of Exchange: Conveyance of title: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Conveying Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 1.350 acres (Needwood - 0.670; Niagara - 0.449; Pitt 
- 0.231): 

Property Location: North side of the C&O Canal in Georgetown; Needwood 
is at 29th Street, NW; Niagara is between 31st and Wisconsin Avenue, 
NW; and Pitt is at 33rd Street, NW: 

Ward: 2: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 202(b)(2): 

Property Status: Conveyance awaits completion: 

Property Description: These properties include three former street 
rights-of-way and have been occupied by the C&O Canal since the 19th 
century. The conveyance will provide NPS with sufficient interests to 
manage these heretofore District-owned portions of the C&O Canal 
National Historical Park in Georgetown. 

Estimated Conveyance Completion: End of summer 2008: 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 23: Aerial View of Needwood, Niagara, and Pitt Streets, NW (C&O 
Canal National Historic Park): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of Needwood, Niagra, and 
Pitt Streets, NW (C&O Canal National Historic Park). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: A portion of U.S. Reservation 451: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 0.475 acre: 

Property Location: Along the north edge of Gallatin Street, NE, west of 
South Dakota Avenue: 

Ward: 5: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(1): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This parkland was encumbered with a one-block 
section of Gallatin Street, NW, which provides access to an existing 
District public works facility. 

Proposed Use: Road/Access to local public facilities: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 24: Aerial View of a Portion of the U.S. Reservation 451 
Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of a portion of the U.S. 
Reservation 451 property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: A portion of U.S. Reservation 404 (Canal Road, NW): 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: Survey pending: 

Property Location: Canal Road, NW, from Foxhall Road to the Chain 
Bridge (North Glebe Road): 

Ward: 3: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(2): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This property is beneath Canal Road, NW, and was 
the subject of a right-of-way permit to the District. This transfer 
provides the District with the requisite interest to adequately operate 
and maintain the existing roadway. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 25: Aerial View of a Portion of the U.S. Reservation 404 
Property (Canal Road, NW): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of a portion of the U.S. 
Reservation 404 property (Canal Road, NW). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservations 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 (Eastern 
Market): 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 1.114 acres (44: 0.243; 45: 0.186; 46: 0.032; 47: 
0.020; 48: 0.261; 49: 0.372): 

Property Location: Along Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th 
Streets, SE: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(3): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This transfer includes six reservations of 
parkland around the Eastern Market Metro stop. Community leaders, led 
by Barracks Row Main Street (BRMS) and backed by local businesses, want 
to redesign the parks into a town center square for Capitol Hill. 
According to a member of Barracks Row Main Street's Board of Directors, 
the plans have the support of District officials and the financial 
backing of BRMS and the local businesses. These redesigned parks would 
link the revitalized areas of 8th Street, SE; "Barracks Row"; and 7th 
Street, SE, "Market Row," and would serve as a gateway to the community 
with unique neighborhood markers and kiosks around the Metro. A 
complementary gateway park will also be created at the southern end of 
8th Street, SE, on Reservation 251. The transfer of administrative 
jurisdiction was needed to allow the kiosks, since commercial 
transactions are not allowed on NPS land, as well as to facilitate the 
redesign of the parks. BRMS has commissioned a design study, which 
should be completed by August or September 2008, and will provide 
design alternatives for community input. BRMS anticipates that 
construction could begin by the end of 2008. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: 2009 - 2010: 

Figure 26: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 
(Eastern Market): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservations 44, 
45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 (Eastern Market). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservation 251: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 0.151 acre: 

Property Location: M Street, SE, between 8th and 9th Streets, SE: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(4): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This property is a triangle at the southern end 
of the Barracks Row commercial strip. Community leaders and local 
businesses want to redevelop it as an urban park to serve as a gateway 
to the commercial strip known as Barracks Row and to complement similar 
development at the northern end around the Eastern Market Metro. The 
park will likely feature a sculpture. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: 2009 - 2010: 

Figure 27: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 251 Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the U.S. Reservation 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservation 8 (Mount Vernon Square): 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 2.748 acres: 

Property Location: Mount Vernon Square; between 7th and 9th Streets, 
NW: 

Ward: 2: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(5): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This park property at Mount Vernon Square 
surrounds the City Museum (Carnegie Library), which is owned by the 
District. The transfer provides uniform administration and more 
efficient management of the entire square by the District. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 28: Aerial View of the U.S. Reservation 8 Property (Mount Vernon 
Square): 

This figure is an aerial view of the U.S. Reservation 8 property (Mount 
Vernon Square). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: U.S. Reservations 277A and 277C: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 0.131 acre: 

Property Location: Reservation 277A at North Capitol Street and Florida 
Avenue, NW; and Reservation 277C at North Capitol Street and Lincoln 
Road, NE: 

Ward: 5: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(6): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: These two properties are located along North 
Capitol Street. Through a misunderstanding, the District issued permits 
to local community groups authorizing the landscaping of these 
properties. The transfer provides continuity of management for the 
District. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 29: Aerial View of U.S. Reservations 277A and 277C: 

This figure is an aerial view of the U.S. Reservations 277A and 277C. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Portions of U.S. Reservation 470 (Fort Reno Park): 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Entity Transferring Property: National Park Service: 

Property Acreage: 1.556 acres: 

Property Location: In Fort Reno Park along Donaldson Place, NW: 

Ward: 3: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(b)(7): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This property contains a salt dome and leaf 
collection and storage operation that the District has operated under 
permits from NPS for many years. The transfer provides the District 
with the proper interest in the property to administer and maintain new 
facilities at this location. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 30: Aerial View of Portions of U.S. Reservation 470 (Fort Reno 
Park): 

This figure is an aerial view of portions of U.S. Reservation 470 (Fort 
Reno Park). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Audubon Terrace, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 0.381 acre: 

Property Location: East of Linnean Avenue, NW, within Reservation 402: 

Ward: 3: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(A): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved wooded property was encumbered by 
an unbuilt street right-of-way surrounded by NPS parkland. The transfer 
provides continuity of management by NPS. The property will remain 
parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 31: Aerial View of the Audubon Terrace, NW, Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Audobon Terrace, NW, 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Barnaby Street, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 0.436 acre: 

Property Location: North of Aberfoyle Place, NW; abuts Reservation 545: 

Ward: 4: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(B): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved wooded property was encumbered by 
an unbuilt street right-of-way surrounded by NPS parkland. The transfer 
provides continuity of management by NPS. The property will remain 
parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 32: Aerial View of the Barnaby Street, NW, Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Barnaby Street, NW, 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Canal Street, SW, and V Street, SW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 3.732 acres: 

Property Location: Portions of Canal Street, SW and V Street, SW, each 
of which abuts Reservation 467 along the Anacostia River: 

Ward: 6: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: Yes: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(C): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved property is comprised of portions 
of unbuilt street rights-of-way that abut NPS parkland. The transfer 
facilitates implementation of an approved plan to enhance an existing 
NPS concession-operated marina. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 33: Aerial View of the Canal Street, SW, and V Street, SW, 
Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Canal Street, SW, and 
V Street, SW, property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Streets and Alleys at Fort Circle Park: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 4.35 acres: 

Property Location: Within Fort Circle Park/Reservation 497: 

Ward: 4: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(D): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved wooded property was encumbered by 
several contiguous unbuilt street rights-of-way within NPS parkland. 
The transfer provides continuity of management by NPS. The property 
will remain parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 34: Aerial View of the Streets and Alleys at the Fort Circle 
Park Property: 

This figure is picture of an aerial view of the streets and alleys at 
the Fort Circle Park property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Western Avenue, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 1.081 acres: 

Property Location: Western Avenue, NW, north of Oregon Avenue, NW, 
abuts Reservation 339: 

Ward: 4: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(E): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved property was encumbered by an 
unbuilt street right-of-way surrounded by NPS parkland. The transfer 
provides continuity of management by NPS. The property will remain 
parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 35: Aerial View of the Western Avenue, NW, Property: 

This figure is an aerial view of the Western Avenue, NW, property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: 17th Street, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 0.268 acre: 

Property Location: 17th Street, NW, south of Shepherd Street, NW, abuts 
Reservation 339: 

Ward: 4: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(F): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved wooded property was encumbered by 
an unbuilt street right-of-way abutting NPS parkland. The transfer 
provides continuity of management by NPS. The property will remain 
parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 36: Aerial View of the 17th Street, NW, Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the 17th Street, NW, 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: 30th Street, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 0.343 acre: 

Property Location: 30th Street, NW, north of Broad Branch Road, NW, 
within Reservation 515: 

Ward: 4: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(G): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This unimproved wooded property was encumbered by 
an unbuilt street right-of-way surrounded by NPS parkland. The transfer 
provides continuity of management by NPS. The property will remain 
parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 37: Aerial View of the 30th Street, NW, Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the 30th Street, NW, 
property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Land over I-395 (Including additional land along/above I-
395): 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 1.69 acres: 

Property Location: This property is bounded by Washington Avenue, SW, 
2nd Street, SW; and the C Street, SW, ramps to I-295. 

Ward: 2: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(H): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This property includes landscaped traffic islands 
and ramps above I-395 in the vicinity of the Rayburn House Office 
Building. The transfer provides for the establishment of the Memorial 
to American Veterans Disabled for Life, which will be managed by NPS. 
The District retains jurisdiction of the subsurface area beneath the 
memorial for the tunnel, walls, footings and related facilities. An 
additional 0.249 acre of an adjoining parcel was transferred to NPS 
and, subject to AOC approval, will be landscaped or used for special- 
needs parking associated with the proposed memorial. The Disabled 
Veterans Life Memorial Foundation, which is responsible for developing 
and fund-raising and constructing the memorial, hopes to seek 
preliminary design approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and 
the National Capital Planning Commission this summer, with final 
approval following in early 2009. Some street realignments and 
utilities relocation will be involved. The street realignment will take 
about 12 months and the Memorial construction will take 18 months. 
Currently, the memorial foundation anticipates a possible dedication on 
Memorial Day 2011. 

Proposed Use: Memorial for Disabled Veterans; Parking for Memorial: 

Estimated Development Completion: May 2011: 

Figure 38: Aerial View of Land over I-395 (Including additional land 
along/above I-395): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of land over I-395 
(including additional land along/above I-395). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Whitehaven Parkway, NW: 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: National Park Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 1.80 acres: 

Property Location: Portion of Reservation 357 at Whitehaven Parkway, 
NW, and Foxhall Road, NW: 

Ward: 3: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(1)(I): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: This property was previously transferred to the 
District for a proposed mayoral residence at this location, which was 
never built. The transfer provides continuity of management by NPS. The 
property will remain parkland. 

Proposed Use: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: No development planned: 

Figure 39: Aerial View of the Whitehaven Parkway, NW, Property: 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the Whitehaven Parkway, 
NW, property. 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

Property Name: Remaining land over I-395 (AOC): 

Type of Exchange: Transfer of administrative jurisdiction: 

Entity Receiving Property: Architect of the Capitol, National Park 
Service: 

Entity Transferring Property: District of Columbia Government: 

Property Acreage: 0.504 acre: 

Property Location: This property is bounded by 2nd Street, SW; C 
Street, SW, ramp to I-295; the D Street, SW ramp to I-395; and I-295. 

Ward: 2: 

Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan Area: No: 

Section of Public Law 109-396: 201(a)(3)(A): 

Property Status: Transfer completed December 15, 2006: 

Property Description: These additional lands above and along I-395 are 
next to the site for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. 
The northernmost 0.249 acre was transferred to NPS and is subject to 
AOC approval as to whether the property is landscaped or used for 
special-needs parking associated with the memorial. The remaining 
portion was transferred to the AOC. (See "Lands over I-395 (for 
Memorial to Disabled Veterans)" to NPS). The District retains 
jurisdiction of the subsurface area beneath the memorial for the 
tunnel, walls, footings, and related facilities. 

Proposed Use: Parking and Open Space: 

Estimated Development Completion: Yet to be determined: 

Figure 40: Aerial View of the Remaining Land over I-395 (AOC): 

This figure is a picture of an aerial view of the remaining land over I-
395 (AOC). 

[See PDF for image] 

Source: National Park Service. 

[End of figure] 

[End of section] 

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of the Interior: 

United States Department Of The Interior: 
Office Of The Secretary: 
Washington D.C. 20240: 

June 4, 2008: 

Terrell Dorn: 
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues: 
U.S. Government Accountability Office: 
441 G Street, N.W.: 
Washington, D.C. 20548 

Dear Mr. Dorn: 

Thank you for providing the National Park Service of the Department of 
the Interior the opportunity to review and comment on the draft 
Government Accountability Office Report entitled, "Federal Real 
Property Conveyances between the District of Columbia and Federal 
Government Await Completion and Development Will Take Many Years" (GAO-
08-684).  

We appreciate the diligent work of the team that prepared the report 
and the large amount of data collected, In general, we believe the GAO 
has produced an informative summation of the complex issues associated 
with the transfers of land and associated projects and we concur with 
the major findings and recommendations included in the report. We are 
also committed to working with the District of Columbia to utilize the 
report to guide and inform our decisions and actions on this joint 
endeavor going forward. 

The enclosure provides comments from the Service. We hope these 
comments will assist you in preparing the final report. If you have any 
questions or need additional information, contact Joe Cook, Realty 
Specialist, at 202-619-7034. 

Sincerely, 

Signed by: 

Mitch Butler: 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish. and Wildlife and Parks: 

Enclosure: 

[End of section] 

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: 

GAO Contact: 

Terrell Dorn, 202-512-6923 or [email protected]: 

Staff Acknowledgments: 

In addition to the individual listed above, David Sausville, Assistant 
Director; Colin Fallon; Ryan Gottschall; Kathleen Gilhooly; Kieran 
McCarthy; and Joshua Ormond made significant contributions to this 
report. 

[End of section] 

Footnotes: 

[1] A "conveyance" is defined as the transfer of a property title from 
one party to another. In general, title allows the owner to possess, 
control, and assert all rights over that property. Under a "transfer of 
administrative jurisdiction," the transferor retains ownership of the 
property, while the transferee is given authority to administer and 
maintain the property. 

[2] The law groups some properties together and counts others as 
individual properties, so our total property count includes some 
properties that are grouped together in the statute but are counted as 
one (see App. I.) 

[3] The Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act 
of 2006 (Pub. L. No. 109-396). 

[4] GAO, District of Columbia: Structural Imbalance and Management 
Issues, GAO-03-666 (Washington, D.C.: May 22, 2003). 

If the assumptions underlying this structural imbalance analysis 
change, then estimates of the amount of the structural imbalance could 
change in either direction. It is beyond the scope of this report to 
update our estimate of the District's structural fiscal imbalance. 

[5] In this report, we define "development" as the act of making an 
area of land more useful. This definition is intended to include a 
broad range of activities, including commercial and residential 
development, realignment of roadways, and improvement of a park or open 
space. 

[6] GAO-03-666. 

[7] If the Architect of the Capitol decides to construct a mail 
screening facility on the District property conveyed to them, it must 
complete a study that meets certain requirements in Public Law 109-396 
before construction begins. 

[8] See 42 U.S.C. Â§9620(h)(3)(C), which allows the transfer of federal 
property to nonfederal users, under certain conditions, before all 
remedial actions are complete. We did not evaluate whether these 
conditions have been met. 

[9] Reservation 13 will be renamed Hill East Waterfront upon its 
conveyance to the District. Reservation 13 consists of 42 acres 
excluding the District jail property, which will remain at its current 
location. 

[10] Anne Archbold Hall is a brick building that housed the Capital 
City School of Nursing until 1972. More recently, the hall housed the 
D.C. Department of Health. 

[11] The extent of environmental cleanup is also unknown at a number of 
other conveyed properties, including Reservation 13, the Randall School 
site, Reservation 248, Reservation 17A, and Reservation 298 (Virginia 
Avenue), and could also potentially delay development of the property. 

[12] According to a senior NPS official, NPS, as the current landowner, 
is also a potentially responsible party for the cleanup of the 
Boathouse Row property beyond Washington Gas who contaminated the site 
and has begun remedial cleanup action. 

[13] It is not the focus of this review to assess whether the 
District's current organizational structure to manage economic 
development is likely to succeed. Our intention is simply to convey the 
views of the stakeholders that we either interviewed or heard express 
their views at public hearings. 

GAO's Mission: 

The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation and 
investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting 
its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance 
and accountability of the federal government for the American people. 
GAO examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and 
policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance 
to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding 
decisions. GAO's commitment to good government is reflected in its core 
values of accountability, integrity, and reliability.  

Obtaining Copies of GAO Reports and Testimony: 

The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no 
cost is through GAO's Web site [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov]. Each 
weekday, GAO posts newly released reports, testimony, and 
correspondence on its Web site. To have GAO e-mail you a list of newly 
posted products every afternoon, go to [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov] 
and select "E-mail Updates."  

Order by Mail or Phone: 

The first copy of each printed report is free. Additional copies are $2 
each. A check or money order should be made out to the Superintendent 
of Documents. GAO also accepts VISA and Mastercard. Orders for 100 or 
more copies mailed to a single address are discounted 25 percent. 
Orders should be sent to:  

U.S. Government Accountability Office: 
441 G Street NW, Room LM: 
Washington, D.C. 20548:  

To order by Phone: 
Voice: (202) 512-6000: 
TDD: (202) 512-2537: 
Fax: (202) 512-6061:  

To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs:  

Contact:  

Web site: [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm]: 
E-mail: [email protected]: 
Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470:  

Congressional Relations:  

Ralph Dawn, Managing Director, [email protected]: 
(202) 512-4400: 
U.S. Government Accountability Office: 
441 G Street NW, Room 7125: 
Washington, D.C. 20548:  

Public Affairs: 

Chuck Young, Managing Director, [email protected]: 
(202) 512-4800: 
U.S. Government Accountability Office: 
441 G Street NW, Room 7149: 
Washington, D.C. 20548: 

*** End of document. ***