Walter Reed’s west parcel may house up to 15 chanceries

It’s still early in the planning stages, but next month, the U.S. Department of State will go before the National Capital Planning Commission with a draft report of the Foreign Missions Center Master Plan for the west side of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center site.

Washington Business Journal reported that the State Department hopes to redevelop the 33 acres of space on the former medical campus, which closed in 2011, for 10 to 15 chanceries on lots of varying sizes. There will also be a Foreign Missions Center.

Washington Business Journal further reported, “Dahlia Street, off of Alaska Avenue NW, will be a boulevard connecting the Foreign Missions Center side and the privately developed side.”

Currently, there are 16 buildings situated on the west side of the Walter Reed site. The State Department will assess each of the buildings to determine which to reuse. Three have already been chosen, each eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation.

These buildings include the Memorial Chapel, Old Red Cross Building, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

While the State Department will help develop the infrastructure for the area, foreign missions will pay for the development of the chanceries, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Before any groundbreaking can occur, the State Department’s site plans will have to go before the Zoning Commission, Historic Preservation Office, Foreign Missions Board of Zoning Adjustment, and U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

• State Department's vision for Walter Reed west parcel coming into focus [Washington Business Journal]