As the Post notes this morning, Mayor Williams wants the Defense Department to hold at least one Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission meeting in the District to discuss the proposed move of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on 16th Street NW to Maryland and other BRAC moves that would shift 6,000 jobs out of the District. (Walter Reed himself, is pictured here.)
Currently a hearing for the region is proposed for Baltimore on July 8. Like with all BRACs, it can be an uphill fight to save military facilities and Williams recognizes that. In a statement:
Whether Walter Reed remains open or not, it’s critical that the military engages in a dialogue with District officials and residents.
Additionally, a neighborhood meeting will be held to discuss how Walter Reed’s retreat from Ward 4 will directly affect the neighborhood surrounding the military hospital, home to many wounded from the Iraq conflict. We’re curious what the District — and developers, of course — have in mind for the massive campus.
