announcement

As part of the medical facilities realignment endeavor, Washington, DC's 260-bed Walter Reed Army Medical Center will shutter its doors and in turn, the 300-bed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will be developed on the site of the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD. The move will leave Walter Reed's 113-acre home in DC vacant, freeing up space in a city. Additionally, a 165-bed community hospital will be erected at the Army's Fort Belvoir in Fort Belvoir, VA. The Defense Department's medical facility plan also calls for the transformation of in-patient services space at Andrews Air Force Base's Malcolm Grow Hospital in Andrews Air Force Base, MD into an out-patient clinic.

that building currently houses administrative offices. BRAC's healthcare facility realignment extends beyond the DC area, affecting bases in Texas, Ohio and Florida for an estimated grand total cost of $2.4 billion in new construction. The Defense Department's Office of Economic Adjustment will play a large role in land planning and disposition activities related to BRAC. OEA is scheduled to begin a six-month property screening period in January of 2006.