Navy To Study Constructing New Buildings On Bethesda Campus

The Navy has announced a plan to study demolishing five buildings on Bethesda’s NavyMed campus and constructing a new five-story, 563,000 square foot building and a 500-space underground parking garage in its place.

Navy officials announced the launch of the federally-required study known as an environmental impact statement that will focus on the new construction at a meeting of the BRAC implementation committee last week. The study will also look at expanding the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences by adding a new 341,000 square foot research and education facility and a 400-space parking structure.

NavyMed will soon be known as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as it merges with a portion of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The move is part of the federally-mandated Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. The transition of 2,500 staff members from Walter Reed to Bethesda was expected to be complete by Aug. 29, and the final 18 inpatients were there over the weekend.  The new facility will officially open Sept. 15, and several transportation projects are in the works to help ease traffic congestion in the area.

The new hospital building will allow for more space for single-occupancy patient rooms, a simulation center and a health innovation center, according to the Navy. The new university building will help consolidate university “departments, centers and activities” and provide more research and education space.

The environmental impact statement will include a traffic study and will draw on public feedback to examine several different construction alternatives, including a “no-action” alternative.

After the new hospital parking structure is complete, it will mean one available parking spot for every three hospital employees – down from one to every four currently, the Washington Examiner reported. And that could mean more cars on Bethesda roads.

"I don't think that'll have a huge impact on traffic, but obviously if they're building new parking garages, that'll bring more cars than we anticipated," Phil Alperson, Montgomery County BRAC coordinator, told the Examiner. "It's out of our control, but we're going to deal with it."

Neighborhoods surrounding the hospital are concerned hospital staff or visitors who can’t find parking on the campus may park along neighborhood streets. The Navy is moving to encourage its staff to carpool or use mass transit.

Two public scoping meetings are planned on the proposed projects from 5-9p.m. Sept. 7 and 1-5p.m. Sept. 12 at the Pooks Hill Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road in Bethesda.