Kristi Noem's plan to demolish historic buildings hits major obstacle: report

The Department of Homeland Security's plans to demolish historic buildings in Washington, D.C., have run into a major obstacle, according to newly revealed documents.

The Washington Post obtained documents that showed engineers have determined the vacant buildings on the landmark campus of St. Elizabeths are "generally in stable condition," which sharply contrasts with statements by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who wants the 13 buildings torn down to prevent “malicious insiders” from using the fortified site to store weapons or stage attacks on the agency's nearby headquarters.

“Several vacant structures within the campus perimeter are in such deteriorated condition that they cannot be safely accessed or cleared by law enforcement or emergency responders,” Noem wrote in a Dec. 19 memo requesting emergency demolition.

The buildings Noem wants taken down served as hospital wards, kitchen and bakery and were constructed in the late 1800s, but an infrastructure company hired by the General Services Agency, which manages government properties, found the structures were viable for renovation.

“What looks alarming in photos represents localized repairable conditions rather than systemic structural failure,” stated the report by the firm AECOM. “The core buildings remain viable for stabilization and future adaptive reuse.”

A spokeswoman for the GSA disputed that firm's findings, saying its

However, an opponent of the demolition pointed out that Homeland Security officials had never raised security concerns to justify demolishing the buildings, which had served as country’s first federal care facility for people with psychiatric disorders.

“If these buildings were such a threat, that should have been brought up,” said Rebecca Miller, executive director of the D.C. Preservation League.