Napolitano to Break Ground on New DHS Headquarters – HS Today
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will preside over a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for construction of a new headquarters to consolidate the agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a single physical location in Washington, DC.
Others attending the ceremony include General Services Administration (GSA) Acting Administrator Paul Prouty, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, and DC Councilman Marion Barry (whose district includes the Anacostia neighborhood where the new DHS headquarters will be built).
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5) provides $650 million to the construction of a new DHS headquarters on the St. Elizabeth’s Campus in DC, which DHS describes as the largest building project in the history of the GSA. Of those funds, $200 million go to DHS and $450 million go to GSA. In addition, DHS received about $100 million and GSA roughly $350 million in their fiscal 2009 budgets for staffing and construction on the project.
GSA released a solicitation to hire a prime contractor to handle construction of the headquarters on May 16. The final deadline for construction bids was extended to August 11 and GSA is currently evaluating proposals. Officials anticipate a contract award sometime in fiscal 2010.
