83 FR 60866 - Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Master Plan for the Consolidation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Headquarters at the Federal Research Center at White Oak, located in Silver Spring, MD

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 228 (November 27, 2018)

GSA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 2018 Master Plan for the Consolidation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the Federal Research Center at White Oak, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, on November 14, 2018. The ROD was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations, and the GSA Public Buildings Service NEPA Desk Guide.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 60866]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25887]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2018-13; Docket No. 2018-0002; Sequence No. 33]


Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision of the 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Master Plan for the 
Consolidation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Headquarters at 
the Federal Research Center at White Oak, located in Silver Spring, MD

AGENCY: Public Buildings Service, National Capital Region, General 
Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of availability for the Record of Decision of the FDA 
Headquarters Master Plan Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: GSA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 2018 Master Plan 
for the Consolidation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 
the Federal Research Center at White Oak, located in Silver Spring, 
Maryland, on November 14, 2018. The ROD was prepared in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations, and the GSA Public Buildings Service 
NEPA Desk Guide.

DATES: Applicable: Friday, November 30, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Gyamfi, GSA, National Capital 
Region, Public Buildings Service, Office of Planning and Design 
Quality, at 202-440-3405. Please contact this number if special 
assistance is needed to attend and participate in the scoping meeting.

Background

    GSA, in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), has prepared a Master Plan for the consolidation of the FDA 
headquarters facilities at the Federal Research Center at White Oak 
(FRC) in Silver Spring, Maryland. The FDA headquarters currently 
encompasses a 130-acre piece of the FRC, now known as the FDA Campus.
    In the fiscal year 2016, Congress provided funding ``for FDA to 
complete a feasibility study and Master Plan for land inside and 
contiguous to the White Oak campus to address its expanded workforce 
and the facilities needed to accommodate them.'' On August 3, 2017, 
Congress passed the FDA Reauthorization Act (FDARA) of 2017. This new 
legislation reauthorized the user fee programs necessary for continued 
support of the agency's pre-market evaluation of prescription drugs, 
medical devices, generic drugs, and biosimilar products.
    Due to these Congressional mandates, FDA is projecting that there 
will need to be an increase in employees and campus support staff at 
the FDA Campus. Therefore, GSA has prepared a Master Plan to 
accommodate future growth and further consolidate FDA operations. The 
Master Plan will provide a framework for development at the FRC to 
accommodate up to approximately 18,000 FDA employees and support staff. 
GSA completed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that assessed the 
impacts of the population increase and additional growth needed on the 
FRC to support the increased population.

Preferred Alternative

    GSA has chosen to implement Alternative C: Two Large Tower 
Buildings, as defined in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
(GSA, September 2018). This decision is based on analyses contained in 
the 2018 FDA Master Plan Draft EIS issued in March 2018, the 2018 FDA 
Master Plan Final EIS issued in September 2018, the Memorandum of 
Agreement (MOA) executed on November 7, 2018, and the comments of 
Federal and State agencies, stakeholder organizations, members of the 
public, and elected officials, and other information in the 
Administrative Record.
    Alternative C includes an additional 1,602,371 gross square feet 
(gsf) of office space and 318,253 gsf of special/shared use space that 
will be added to the FDA Campus to support FDA's mission for a total of 
up to 5,687,229 gsf of office, shared, and special use spaces. The East 
Loop Road will be reconfigured to allow for ease of circulation and 
access into and out of the FDA Campus. The reconfigured East Loop Road 
will circle around the new office buildings proposed on the east side 
of the FDA Campus and will connect with Dalghren Road. At Blandy Road 
and FDA Boulevard, a new traffic circle will be constructed that will 
connect it with the Southeast Loop Road. The Southeast Loop Road will 
circle around the southeast parking garage and connect to the existing 
Southwest Loop Road that will be reconfigured for the connection.
    GSA has chosen to implement Alternative C. Alternative C will also 
consist of the following:
     Three new office buildings ranging from 8 to 16 stories, 
placed on the eastern end of the FDA Campus, and one new office 
building, placed on the western part of the FDA Campus adjacent to 
Building 22;
     7,342 additional parking spaces within three new parking 
garages;
     A Distribution Center will be constructed adjacent to the 
northeast parking garage;
     A Truck Screening Facility will be constructed at the 
entrance to the FDA Campus on Michelson Road:
     A new Transit Center will be located on the existing 
northwest surface lots;
     A free-standing dining facility will be constructed on the 
plaza near the new buildings:
     A Communications Center will be placed with the new 
buildings on the eastern end of the campus;
     The plaza will be extended to facilitate a walkable 
campus; and
     A Conference Center will be placed on the northwest 
quadrant and existing main campus.

Location of Record of Decision

    The ROD can be found on GSA's project website at www.gsa.gov/ncrnepa.

    Dated: November 20, 2018.
Mina Wright,
Director, Office of Planning and Design Quality, Public Buildings 
Service, National Capital Region, General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-25887 Filed 11-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-Y1-P