A split image shows the interior and exterior deterioration of an abandoned historic building at the St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast Washington, D.C. The former psychiatric hospital complex is now being redeveloped into the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters, as DHS seeks emergency demolition of multiple structures at the site. (GSA)
In total, DHS is seeking to demolish 17 buildings. Four have already received approval from federal planning bodies, while the remaining 13 have not been reviewed or approved and are now being pushed through under the emergency demolition designation, according to preservation officials.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that buildings at the site need to be demolished for safety reasons.
A split image shows interior deterioration inside an abandoned historic building at the St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast Washington, D.C. The former psychiatric hospital complex is now being redeveloped into the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters, as DHS seeks emergency demolition of multiple structures at 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 D.C. Preservation League, which argue that DHS has not shown evidence of an actual emergency.
The groups told the Post that the emergency declaration relies solely on Noem’s own determination and bypasses required historic-preservation review procedures for a National Historic Landmark.
"A unilateral declaration like this is problematic because it bypasses the procedural safeguards designed to ensure stability, legitimacy and fairness," reads a letter signed by Elizabeth Merritt, the National Trust’s general counsel, and Rebecca Miller, the Preservation League’s executive director, according to the Post.
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The preservation groups also argue that DHS used an emergency declaration and holiday timing to compress the review window, leaving little opportunity to challenge the demolition of historic buildings.
DHS declared an emergency on Dec. 19, when Noem signed the memo and security assessment, but GSA did not notify D.C. officials until the evening of Dec. 23, just before the Christmas holiday, per the Post.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation also filed a legal challenge opposing President Donald Trump’s plan to demolish the White House East Wing and build a new ballroom.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-looks-demolish-historic-st-elizabeths-buildings-due-unacceptable-risks