Kristi Noem Seeks Emergency Demolition of 17 Historic D.C. Buildings, Sparking Preservation Fight
Washington, D.C. — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has asked federal partners to invoke emergency demolition authority to tear down 17 historic buildings at the old St. Elizabeths campus, asserting the vacant structures pose a “present risk to life and property” and could be exploited by unauthorized actors, according to The Washington Post.
The request, sent in a Dec. 19 memo to the General Services Administration, sets up a clash with preservation advocates who say there’s no verified emergency and that normal review processes are being skipped.
DHS argues the West Campus buildings near its new headquarters in Southeast Washington could offer tactical advantages to malicious insiders or unauthorized individuals, and the only permanent fix is demolition. These structures sit on a site first established in 1855 and now a National Historic Landmark.
Preservation groups including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the D.C. Preservation League say the agency’s emergency claim is premature and based solely on Noem’s declaration, not hard evidence of immediate danger.
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“This unilateral declaration bypasses procedural safeguards designed to ensure stability, legitimacy and fairness,” preservationists wrote in a letter to GSA reviewers.
The controversy comes as only 4 of the 17 buildings already had formal demolition approval, with the remaining 13 advancing under the emergency label.
Historic preservationists argue DHS should first secure the vacant buildings effectively or complete a detailed on-site risk assessment before any demolition occurs.
Federal and local officials now face deadlines under preservation law for comment, and legal challenges could follow if emergency demolition moves ahead. What happens next hinges on further reviews and potential lawsuits from preservation advocates.
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