NonilexDec 30

WTF??

Homeland “Security” seeks “emergency” demolition of #historic buildings in #DC.

#DHS Secretary #KristiNoem, in a memo obtained by WaPo, said the buildings “constitute a present risk to life & property.” Preservationists contend no evidence of an emergency exists.

Who wants to bet there are buildings bearing the name #Trump being planned for those sites?

This is an obvious work around to #landmark #preservation #law.

#law #history #architecture #NHPA
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/12/30/homeland-security-plan-demolish-buildings-st-elizabeths/

Homeland Security seeks emergency demolition of historic buildings in D.C.

Secretary Kristi L. Noem said the buildings “constitute a present risk to life and property.” Preservationists contend no evidence of an emergency exists.

The Washington Post
Show threadNonilexDec 30

#DHS is seeking to fast-track the #demolition of 15 #historic buildings at #StElizabeths in SE Washington, DC, asserting the conditions of the vacant structures represent an “emergency” & pose potential security risks….

#KristiNoem, in a Dec 19 memo to the #GSA, said the buildings “constitute a present risk to life & property” on the 176-acre West Campus, a fortified complex that Homeland Security has been transforming into its new HQ over the past 15 years.

#Trump #law #landmark #preservation

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“#Demolition is the only permanent measure that resolves the emergency conditions,” Noem claimed. A risk assessment report undertaken by her agency “supports immediate corrective action,” she wrote.

The included report concludes the vacant buildings “may be accessed by unauthorized individuals seeking to cause harm to personnel.” The structures “provide a tactical advantage for carrying out small arms or active shooter scenarios,” the report states. [better solution? #GunControl]

#Trump #law

Dec 30 at 2:56pmWeb
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DHS’s proposed #demolition is prompting opposition from the #NationalTrust for #HistoricPreservation & the #DC
#Preservation League, which are seeking to participate in a detailed on-site assessment of the structures, 9 of which were built in the late 1800s.

In a letter sent Sunday to the #GSA, the preservationist orgs raise “strong objections” to the proposed demolition, contending that no evidence of an emergency exists beyond “Secretary Noem’s unilateral declaration” of one.

#Trump #law

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…Regarding the purported security risks, the preservationists wrote that the Homeland Security campus possesses “the highest security classification for a government facility.” Concerns about threats, they wrote, “imply a fundamental flaw in the facility’s security as a whole,” not the vacant buildings. [TYVM]

#Trump #law #history #architecture #NHPA #landmark #preservation

Show threadNonilexDec 30

The concerns about #StElizabeths echo those raised after #Trump ordered the #demolition of the #EastWing of the #WhiteHouse in October to make way for a new #ballroom. The #NationalTrust earlier this month filed a lawsuit intended to require the White House to submit plans for a public review before constructing the 90,000 square foot ballroom.

#law #history #architecture #NHPA #landmark #preservation

Show threadNonilexDec 30

Under the terms of the redevelopment of the #StElizabeths West Campus, the #FederalGovernment is required to provide preservationists 3 business days to respond to an “emergency” notification regarding the property, acc/to preservationists.

The #GSA notified DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s admin of the plan on the evening of Dec 23. The GSA’s emailed letter to the city included Noem’s memo, as well as a safety assessment report completed Dec19.

#Trump #law #architecture #NHPA #landmark #preservation

Show threadNonilexDec 30

Because of the federal holiday, the deadline is Dec 31 for the city’s Office of #HistoricPreservation & the Advisory Council on Historic #Preservation to offer comments, acc/to the preservation organizations.

#Trump #law #history #architecture #NHPA #landmark #preservation