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An underutilized parcel at the northern tip of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling may one day become a headquarters for the National Park Service.
The 33-acre parcel, which is currently the location of a child development center and a recreational green, sits on the eastern edge of the Anacostia River across from Buzzard Point.
In a master plan approved by the National Capital Planning Commission Feb. 3, the parcel would eventually contain an NPS Headquarters building, the Washington Business Journal reports, alongside an NPS Operations Center and a U.S. Park Police helicopter complex.
Whether those buildings will come, and when, is unclear: Ed Zeigler, director of public affairs for Naval District Washington, told the WBJ that the information in the plan is “not quite accurate." Regardless, new developments will continue to move forward at the base used by both the Navy and Air Force.
NCPC acknowledged during its meeting that as one of the few urban military bases, Anacostia-Bolling has the potential to improve walkability, transportation and connections to adjacent neighborhoods.
The base stretches across 966 acres and serves 17,000 military and civilian employees, according to NCPC. In addition to spinning off the potential National Park Service headquarters, the commission is also looking into ways to improve the environmental sustainability of the base and preserve historic structures.
“This work is important for unifying and achieving consistency on streets within the downtown monumental core, and physically and visually connecting with our important national buildings, monuments, and open spaces, as well as surrounding local neighborhoods,” NCPC Chair Beth White said in a press release.
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