SUMMARY SITE ANALYSIS OF THE J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING SITE

LOCATION:
This site is bounded by 9th and 10th Streets to the east and west and by E Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the north and south. The FBI is planning to vacate the Hoover Building in the coming years for another location in the Washington, DC area, although at this writing that plan is currently pending. The availability of this site is dependent upon the FBI moving out and the GSA razing the building. The site is between, and connects, the White House and the Capitol.

SURROUNDING CONTEXT:
While this location is surrounded by office buildings on all four sides, one of those buildings is the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. The site is also kitty-corner to the National Archives, home to the original Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence, our nation's founding documents. Pennsylvania Avenue connects the White House and the Capitol and is considered one of the grand ceremonial thoroughfares of the world, and is used for the nation's quadrennial inauguration parades.

PROXIMITY TO DC METRO:
The Federal Triangle stop, serving the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, is 2 1⁄2 blocks away. The Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter stop, serving the Green and Yellow lines, is one block away. The Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station, on the Red line, is one block away.

AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATE MUSEUM SPACE:
The Hoover site would provide sufficient space for the museum as well as office space for the museum's components. It could accommodate one or two architecturally significant buildings as well as a park-like space for a sculpture garden with objects focused on themes of the museum. With these features, the NMAP would become a welcome interlude along Pennsylvania Avenue.

JURISDICTION:
The General Services Administration is responsible for this site. With approval from Congress and the museum's governing entity, the site would be transferred from GSA to the museum's governing entity.

ZONING:
This site is being considered for a museum.

SITE ADVANTAGES

• It is a prominent site in the midst of monumental Washington. Locating the museum here between the Capitol and the White House would be a reminder that the ultimate power in the nation is held by the people who every two, four and six years vote for their Representatives, President and Senators to make national decisions on their behalf.
• It would be a vacant site upon which an architecturally significant building could be constructed.
• It would be large enough to handle the millions of visitors who would come every year.
• It could be a place where Presidents and Congressional leaders could meet to iron out compromises on behalf of the people they represent.
• It is one block away from Constitution Avenue, home to five major national museums and a sculpture garden, stretching from 3rd Street to 15th Street.
• It is kitty-corner to the National Archives housing the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and other central founding documents of the nation. Visitorship to the Archives would be spurred by its new neighbor.
• There would be significant underground space to accommodate the needs of the museum and could serve as a secure storage location for museum collections.
• It would add new life to Pennsylvania Avenue.
• It is served by all of the DC Metro lines and a wide range of Metro busses and hop-on hop-off bus tours. School busses would be able to discharge student visitors alongside the museum.
• A grand entrance and park space on Pennsylvania Avenue will enliven that stretch of the most important avenue in the world.

SITE CHALLENGES

• At this writing, the FBI occupies the building. Once the FBI's move is approved by Congress, this disadvantage will end.
• The Hoover Building is extant on the site. Once GSA demolishes the building and clears the site, this disadvantage will also cease as an issue.
• GSA may want to lease this space for an office building to provide income for the government. With the high rate of office vacancies now and projected for years to come, that may not be a viable option.
• Congress would have to transfer ownership of the site from GSA to the governing body of the museum.