The Suitland Federal Center
The Suitland Federal Center at a glance:
- 226 acres site
- 2,760,000 Sq. ft. rentable space
- 7,000 - 8,000 employees
- Suitland Metro nearby
- $400 Million Improvement for new Census & NOAA Buildings
The Suitland Federal Center houses the following:
- U.S. Census Bureau
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Archives
- Smithsonian Institute
- General Services Administration and
- National Maritime Intelligence Center
How the Federal Center Can Help in Suitland's Development
The programmatic development plan for the Suitland Federal Center addresses deficiencies and identifies opportunities at the campus over the next ten years. The plan was developed by GSA in close cooperation with the federal agencies located at the Federal Center, other regional planning agencies, and the surrounding community.
The general purpose of the plan is as follows:
- Review, maintain, and improve the condition of existing facilities and functions of each federal agency located within the campus;
- Identify potential future development opportunities of existing parcels within the campus for current and potential Federal Government uses, or other non-federal uses;
- Maximize the value of the site for federal and other uses through actions that contribute to the redevelopment of the Suitland community;
- Review potential development opportunities provided by new transit access from the Suitland Metro Station;
- Improve pedestrian and vehicular circulation within the campus and adjoining community;
- Assess campus parking requirements and provide a mixture of surface parking and structured parking facilities;
- Provide environmental and public space amenities that complement the established landscape setting of the campus; and
- Promote the improvement of adjoining neighborhood commercial services that could support the needs of current and future federal agency employees.
The Making of the Federal Center
In 1941, the Federal Government purchased 437 acres of wooded farmland in suburban Suitland, Maryland to supplement federal office space within the District of Columbia. Construction of the first building, Federal Office Buildings (FOB-3) for the Census Bureau, began late in 1941. The construction of the Naval Intelligence Command Building (since demolished), Federal Office Building 4 (FOB-4), the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Water Tower, and a garage and annex then followed.
In the 1950s and 1960s, GSA added the Naval Intelligence Command 2 (now called Suitland Federal Center-2), the Suitland Heating and Refrigeration Plant, the Washington National Records Center, and a Radar Building. The new National Maritime Intelligence Center (NMIC) Building was constructed in the early 1990s.
Today, the Suitland Federal Center consists of approximately 2,760,000 square feet of rentable space and accommodates a number of federal tenants. These include the headquarters function of the Census Bureau, NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data Information Service (NESDIS), the management of the property from GSA, the National Archives, and the National Maritime Intelligence Center.
