The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) have announced $288 Million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding for DHS headquarters located at St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast Washington, D.C.
The funds will be used to complete three construction projects: the relocation of the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Headquarters and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Headquarters to the St. Elizabeths campus, as well building a new 1,500-space parking garage.
The new construction will provide additional office space for approximately 6,500 personnel. This will further consolidate DHS leadership and agencies to one main headquarters and contribute to increased cohesion and collaboration, which will better equip the Department to address the threats of today and tomorrow. These IRA investments, aimed at lowering consumer costs and driving the global clean energy economy forward, provide critical funding for the modernization and sustainability of DHS facilities, advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s sustainability goals.
“Locating more of our agencies together enables the Department of Homeland Security to be more cohesive, efficient, and effective. The Inflation Reduction Act funding announced today will help our Department fulfill its mission to keep our country safe,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These projects will save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually and model modern environmental and sustainability standards.”
As part of President Biden’s Buy Clean initiative to encourage investment in clean construction materials, the project will use low-embodied carbon concrete, steel, and asphalt for new construction, as well as repairs and reinforcement of existing structures. Full execution of the DHS campus consolidation effort will reduce total headquarters locations from 40 to six, reducing the DHS footprint in the National Capital Region by over 1.2 million square feet – 27.5 acres of land, the equivalent of 21 football fields – and saving taxpayers $1.3 billion over the next 30 years.
“With this project, we’re modeling a comprehensive approach to sustainability in the federal footprint – using low-embodied carbon materials, new technologies, and a strong partnership on grid decarbonization with the local utility company,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “It’s a great example of how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is a triple-win: we’re creating good jobs, saving taxpayer dollars, and ensuring a healthier, brighter future for our communities and our kids”.
The project will create thousands of jobs, leveraging local ties and economic benefits to the community, including small businesses. Since 2010, the GSA-led St. Elizabeths Opportunities Center has been stationed in the Anacostia community to raise awareness to local stakeholders about project objectives, employment and business opportunities, and other community benefits. Local outreach has resulted in 435 small business contracts and approximately 35 local small businesses completing the Small Business Administration 8(a) certification program. With the partnership of training organizations and general contractors, over 2,500 residents have been employed on the St. Elizabeths West Campus.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of DHS, originally comprised of 22 separate agencies that were unified under a single department with a common mission: to safeguard the American people. In 2007, DHS announced that it planned to relocate its headquarters to the St. Elizabeths campus, and the United States Coast Guard became the first agency to move there in 2010.
