Walter Reed Army Medical Center Redevelopment
Washington, DC
Washington DC's historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the US Army's central medical facility from 1909 to 2011. After the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list identified Walter Reed as a site to be closed and re-situated in nearby suburban Maryland, the facility ended operations in August of 2011. The DC government and the Department of Defense commissioned an official "Reuse Plan" for the site in 2012. The plan involved community input, market studies, and historical preservation efforts, and eventually called for the selection of a master developer to lead the site into its next phase. RKG was hired to assist the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) and the DMPED in the solicitation and selection process.
Given the project's large scale and scope, RKG recommended a two-stage RFQ/RFP approach in order to attract a large field of highly-qualified master developer teams. The respondents included developers, architects, planners, builders, contractors, and financiers. The first step in the process was to create a database of developers known to either have experience in the D.C. market, or national experience with large-scale mixed-use projects. Subsequent to the release of the RFQ to these developers, and prior to selection of RFP recipients, a pre-bid conference and site tour of the Walter Reed campus was conducted. Ten master developer teams responded to the RFQ, from which five were selected to submit proposals. RKG assisted the LRA with the evaluation of the proposals and selection of a preferred master developer team.
Construction and infrastructure work began at the site in 2017, and is expected to last 10-15 years as the 3.1 million square foot project is built out.
Render Source: The Parks at Walter Reed