U.S. government buys large property on Route 50
The federal government has acquired a 43.6-acre complex on Route 50 in Falls Church from GBA Associates for $285 million, the Washington Business Journal reported on Sept. 25.
The property, at 7700 Arlington Blvd., is the headquarters of the Defense Health Agency, which provides healthcare to members of the military and their families and operates over 700 hospitals and clinics across the world.
The fee-simple acquisition was handled for the federal government by the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command. The National Capital Planning Commission had no problems with the sale when it was previewed at the NCPS’s meeting in July, according to the WBJ.
The complex formerly housed the Raytheon Corp.
The Defense Health Agency has occupied the property since 2011, after signing a 15-year, $370 million lease. It was the largest lease signed in Northern Virginia in 2010, the WBJ reports. The deal was part of the Base Realignment and Closure process that forced the military’s healthcare providers to consolidate from 14 locations across the country.
The campus has three office buildings with a total of 686,000 square feet and 2,000 parking spaces.
Related story: Inova acquires two medical buildings
I remember as a kid in the 60s that site was home of Melpar, an original “Beltway bandit.” Really high security. We suspected it was CIA, but can’t find evidence of such.
Surprising move to purchase property inside the beltway given the current administration’s effort to reduce government size and move as much federal workforce away from the DMV as possible.
What are the implications for our neighborhood in Pine Spring?? We ahve had problems with traffic, night lighting, and intrusions cutting into the woods of the buffer strip between “Melpar” and our elementary school’s fields. What changes may we now endure??
its already been there since 2010. nothing is changing, they just own the land now.