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Ruined building on historic St. Elizabeths campus
The video shows a deteriorating historic building on St. Elizabeth’s West Campus in Washington, a former psychiatric hospital complex being redeveloped into the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security. (Credit: GSA)
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing to demolish a group of historic buildings in a long-vacant former psychiatric hospital complex in Washington, D.C., which is being redeveloped into the agency’s headquarters, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a Dec. 19 memo to the General Services Administration (GSA), obtained by the Post, that the buildings in question on St. Elizabeths’ 176-acre West Campus “pose a risk to life and property” and that “demolition is the only permanent measure that resolves the emergency conditions.”
DHS included a security risk assessment report with the memo that Noem said supports immediate corrective action.
The assessment indicates that vacant buildings could be accessible to unauthorized persons and could provide a tactical advantage for small arms or active shooter scenarios. The report also warns of threats from “malicious insiders,” including employees or contractors with legitimate access, who could exploit vacant buildings to target executives, disrupt operations or compromise sensitive information.
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A split image shows the interior and exterior deterioration of an abandoned historic building on the St. Elizabeths campus in southeast Washington, DC. The former psychiatric hospital complex is being redeveloped to become the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, as DHS seeks to urgently demolish several structures on the site. (GSA)
In total, DHS is seeking to demolish 17 buildings. Four have already received approval from federal planning agencies, while the remaining 13 have not been reviewed or approved and are currently being adopted under the emergency demolition designationaccording to preservation officials.
DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that the buildings at the site had to be demolished for security reasons.
The file photo shows a vacant historic building on St. Elizabeths’ West Campus in Washington, D.C., part of a former psychiatric hospital complex now slated for redevelopment to become the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
“DHS safety and security assessments have determined that these dilapidated and vacant buildings pose unacceptable safety, security and emergency response risks,” McLaughlin said. “Demolition is the only permanent corrective measure.”
A GSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency was informed by DHS of a serious and immediate security risk at the St. Elizabeth campus.
“Where buildings pose a threat, demolition may be necessary, and we are currently following all applicable laws and regulations,” said GSA spokeswoman Marianne Copenhaver.
Founded in 1855, St. Elizabeths was the nation’s first federal psychiatric hospital.
The West Campus was declared a “surplus property” in 2001 and then transferred to the GSA. It was later chosen to become the DHS headquarters and has been redeveloped over the past 15 years into a high-security fortified compound for DHS, according to the GSA website.
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A split image shows interior deterioration inside an abandoned historic building on the St. Elizabeths campus in southeast Washington, DC. The former psychiatric hospital complex is being redeveloped to become the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, as DHS seeks to urgently demolish several structures on the site. (GSA)
The site is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with dozens of 19th and early 20th century buildings.
The demolition plan has drawn opposition from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the DC Preservation League, who argue that DHS has not demonstrated evidence of a true emergency.
The groups told the Post that the emergency declaration relies solely on Noem’s own determination and circumvents historic preservation review procedures required for a national historic landmark.
“A unilateral statement like this is problematic because it circumvents procedural safeguards designed to ensure stability, legitimacy and fairness,” reads a letter signed by Elizabeth Merritt, general counsel of the National Trust, and Rebecca Miller, executive director of the Preservation League, according to the Post.
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Preservation groups also argue that DHS used an emergency declaration and a holiday schedule to narrow the review window, leaving little opportunity to challenge the demolition of historic buildings.
DHS declared a state of emergency on Dec. 19, when Noem signed the memo and security assessment, but GSA didn’t notify D.C. officials until the evening of Dec. 23, just before the Christmas holiday, according to the Post.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation also filed a lawsuit against the president. Donald TrumpThe plan to demolish the East Wing of the White House and build a new ballroom.
