It’s official.
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) is relocating from its current Marcel Breuer–designed headquarters, the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, to a new address in Alexandria, Virginia. HUD secretary Scott Turner announced the move at a press conference this week in Washington, D.C.
HUD’s new headquarters will be 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, a newer, admittedly vanilla building now home to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Approximately 2,700 HUD employees will move into this building, while NSF’s 1,800 staffers will relocate to an undetermined location.
HUD cited “severe long-term infrastructure, safety, health, and operational challenges” with the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building as its rationale for the move. This exit from the Weaver Federal Building will save U.S. taxpayers $22 million in yearly operations expenditures, the organization said. The Virginia facility promises new state-of-the-art facilities for Turner, and his family.
A press release from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3403, NSF’s union, states Turner has requested a long list of amenities for 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, including a dedicated executive suite on the 19th floor just for him, an executive dining room, reserved parking for his five cars, a private elevator, and a gym his whole family can work out in.
The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building today needs $500 million worth of repairs, HUD noted. It will be sold by its current owner, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). It is unclear at this time who the buyer will be, and what will happen to it.
Breuer completed the Weaver Federal Building in 1968. The building is not landmarked, unlike other significant Breuer projects. The former Whitney Museum Breuer designed in Manhattan was recently designated an individual and interior landmark, for instance, and is now being renovated by Herzog & de Meuron.
Scott Turner apparently doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for the Weaver Federal Building as the architecture community. “It is time to turn the page on the Weaver Federal Building and relocate to a new headquarters that prioritizes the well-being of HUD employees and properly reflects the passion and excellence of our team,” Turner said this week.
“There are serious concerns with the current state of HUD’s headquarters including health hazards, leaks, and structural and maintenance failures,” Turner added. “Many of these risks will needlessly and irresponsibly continue to absorb taxpayer dollars. Relocating is about more than just changing buildings; it’s about a mission-minded shift that we hope will inspire every employee.”
The relocation stemmed from the Trump administration’s order in February to the GSA to sell at least 500 of its properties, the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building being one of them. Other buildings by Mies van der Rohe, Victor Lundy, and other esteemed architects could be impacted.
The relocation is happening in conjunction with Michael Peters, GSA’s Public Buildings Service commissioner, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
