GSA site dismissed
By Kali Schumitz
County and federal officials are roundly criticizing the Army for its decision to relocate 6,400 defense workers to a City of Alexandria office complex, instead of Springfield. Army officials announced the decision to move the workers to the Mark Center, near Interstate 395 and Seminary Road, Monday afternoon. Fairfax County had been lobbying to put the new offices at the current site of General Services Administration warehouses in Springfield, near the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station.
While many contend that the decision was driven primarily by the 2011 base realignment deadline, the Army considered a variety of factors, including transportation, when making its decision, according to a release.
"The Mark Center site minimizes to the greatest extent practicable disruption of current commuting needs and mission coordination requirements of the workers," said James Turkel, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who led the evaluation team. "It will also require little to no change in contractor support relationships, as well as changes to residency or schools requirements for the workers."
Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee) called the move "two dumb growth actions" – moving the workers away from Metro-accessible offices, and choosing to relocate them to a facility that is not served by transit. He said his primary interest in the GSA site was not the economic benefits to the county, but the transportation benefits of putting an office complex adjacent to a Metro and Virginia Railway Express station.
"I think it's a disaster for the region," he said, predicting an uproar from Alexandria residents who live near Mark Center.
The county will weigh its legal options, he said, but "I am hoping that the power of public reaction will persuade them to take another look at this."
U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th) blamed former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's "arbitrary" 2011 deadline for completing all base realignment projects. That was not enough time to move tenants out of the GSA warehouses and build offices on the site, he said.
"The decision was the only one that the Army could make under the circumstances, but the circumstances were wrong," Moran said.
To mitigate traffic, the plans include extensive bus service to Mark Center from area Metro and VRE stations, Moran said, and future high-occupancy toll lanes will feature an exit to that site. The plan also calls for new parking garages at the facility.
But Fairfax County officials remain concerned that the move will lead to further gridlock on Interstates 95 and 395.
"There was no penalty for the Army to miss the timetable, but we in Fairfax County are going to pay a penalty for a long time to come," Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) said.
Springfield leaders are not concerned about the decision adversely impacting redevelopment in central Springfield. While they are disappointed that it won't happen sooner, McKay and Herrity both said they believe the GSA site is still open for redevelopment.
With 8,500 jobs coming to the Engineer Proving Ground and 4,400 more shifting to Fort Belvoir's Main Post, there is plenty to spur redevelopment, said Nancy-jo Manney, executive director of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. The chamber anticipates that defense contractors will want to locate close to the agencies they work with.
"Springfield is ripe with real estate for those contractors to land," Manney said.