TEMPORARY HEADQUARTERS of HOMELAND SECURITY NOT
EXPECTED TO HAVE MAJOR IMPACT ON NEIGHBORHOODS

In response to inquiries by ANC3D, Navy officials said they did not expect the establishment of temporary headquarters by the new Department of Homeland Security in the naval station at Ward Circle would have a significant impact upon traffic and parking in the residential neighborhoods.

The expectation is that the department headquarters will remain at the naval communications station for one or two years until its permanent location can be determined. The total number of employees at the site is not expected to exceed about 1600-- the number stationed at the naval enclave in the early 1990's.

The number of employees currently at the station is less than 1,000, leaving empty or underutilized office space which the Department of Homeland Security took advantage of to remain in Washington while the debate went on in Congress over whether the new department should be located in Virginia or the District.

Even before Tom Ridge was sworn in as the secretary of the new department, about 60 headquarters staff had moved into the heavily guarded Nebraska Avenue complex. John Imparato, community relations officer for the Washington Naval District, told ANC3D that he expected a couple hundred more employees would move in during the next few months. He said he did not expect employment at the headquarters would exceed the1600-level that prevailed at the naval station in the early 1990's.

There should be sufficient parking to handle the new influx of employees, Mr. Imparato said, although he acknowledged the parking could become tight as employment grows. He said the new employees were being warned about the restrictions on parking on streets in the neighborhood.

The new employees will be given a financial incentive to use public transportation, such as the subway. The nearest Metro stop is at Tenleytown, four long blocks away. The M-4 bus runs between Tenleytown and Ward Circle, but Mr. Imparato said there was concern that the bus did not run often enough to be an attractive shuttle to and from the naval station. The Chair of ANC3D gave assurance she would raise that issue with WMATA officials.

Any construction in the early phases, he said, would involve rehabilitation of office space and it should not have a significant impact upon traffic.

The establishment of the new headquarters in a residential section of Ward 3 will be discussed at the ANC3D monthly meeting on Feb. 5 at Sibley Hospital's auditorium.

John Finney

Naval District Washington Nebraska Avenue Complex

The Nebraska Avenue Complex (NAC) is one of eleven Naval installations located in Naval District Washington.  NAC is located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Massachusetts and Nebraska Avenue in Northwest Washington, D.C.  It is located near the National Cathedral and American University.  It is approximately a mile from the Tenleytown METRO station. 

NAC has a long rich history as a naval installation.  As far back as the Second World War, NAC was the naval center for signals analysis.  Its purpose has changed many times during the following decades, when in 1998 it became the Nebraska Avenue Complex.  NAC has a number of historical buildings dating back to as early as 1916.  Currently NAC has 32 buildings on 38 acres. It currently functions as an administrative center

For the past year one tenant has been some staff of the Office of Homeland Security. That office became the Department of Homeland Security on Friday January 24, 2003.,  The DHS Headquarters will remain at NAC until a more suitable site is located.  Some additional staff will be stationed at NAC

NAC has had a population of over 2300 personnel in the past, although in recent years it was about 1600 people. Current plans do not project exceeding that level.

There is some office space available on the station very quickly, and more can be available with a minimum of renovation and re-arrangement of current tenants. No major construction or major relocation is projected
 
John Imparato
Director, Corporate Information Management
HQ, Naval District Washington, Code N00I

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