Employees wring hands over Homeland Security consolidation

The Homeland Security Department's move to a former psychiatric hospital in Southeast Washington is on track, but is raising concerns among employees affected by the change.

A little more than a year ago, DHS broke ground on its new headquarters at the former Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast Washington, which Secretary Janet Napolitano said will help ensure that the department has a common purpose, mission and culture. Homeland Security, currently headquartered on Nebraska Avenue in Northwest Washington, during the next few years, will end most of its 180 leases to transition to the new campus and several additional locations. Saint Elizabeths will house 14,000 DHS employees.

"There's more than just Saint E's," said DHS spokesman Larry Orluskie. "It's a headquarters consolidation effort. One way or the other, almost every employee in the National Capital Region will be affected by the outcome -- even if you're not moving."

Getting employees on board is one of the key challenges with consolidation projects, said Peter Marcin, managing senior director of the federal practice group at commercial real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, as amenities and quality of life issues are important to consider.

According to Orluskie, department employees are particularly concerned about how changing locations will affect their commute and what services Saint Elizabeths will offer. The area for years has been economically depressed, and though accessible by the Anacostia Metro station, is isolated from downtown Washington. Homeland Security is considering providing shuttle buses as well as fitness and child care centers, credit unions, food services and training facilities, Orluskie said. The department is conducting employee outreach through websites, posters and meetings, he added.

"Part of the dialogue -- you can meet some resistance there -- you have to be over-inclusive of whom you include in the conversation," said Marcin. "That avoids some problems down the road when move time comes."

National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said the department has briefed the union on the move and will continue to address employee concerns about transportation, security and campus access.

The U.S. Coast Guard facility, already under way, is scheduled for completion in 2013, Orluskie said. Headquarters staff will move to the campus by 2014, while the Transportation Security Administration, and Customs and Border Protection; Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureaus will follow in 2016. The entire Federal Emergency Management Agency will move by 2016 to Saint Elizabeths East campus, which will remain a psychiatric treatment facility. Orluskie said the department is on target to meet those deadlines.

The General Services Administration in September awarded a 10-year, $2.63 billion contract to Northrop Grumman Technology Inc. for the campus' IT infrastructure. The project will incorporate sustainable, integrated and secure technology that will allow all DHS components to share information quickly and efficiently. GSA last month also awarded a $57.44 million building contract to Grunley Construction Co. for security gates and fences; check-in facilities; food service, auditorium, gym, security and office spaces; and utility infrastructure at Coast Guard headquarters.

Saint Elizabeths, built in 1855, was the first federally operated institution for the mentally ill. According to Orluskie, 51 of the original 62 buildings on the new DHS site will be revitalized and reused for department functions, while eight of the remaining structures are greenhouses that will be demolished. The project is expected to cost $3.4 billion, he added.

Additional challenges DHS could face include lining up current leases to end as employees are ready to transition and adapting historic buildings to meet modern needs, said Marcin. The consolidation of the Defense Department's medical command into new Washington area headquarters is an example of how smart use of space can enhance a group's ability to work together, he added.

"With the right space planning, it takes care of a lot of the personnel issues," he said.