(I'm now back from a week's vacation, but thanks for being patient as I take a little time to catch up--remember, JDLand is The Site Where You Get What You Pay For.) Back in January, I posted about the planned move of the Metropolitan Police Department's 1st District Station (currently in Southwest) to the old Star/Post Plant at 225 Virginia Avenue (right next to the SE Freeway). Today the Washington Post is reporting that the plans have expanded considerably: "The District plans to move its top police officials from their longtime location in downtown Washington into an industrial building the city will renovate and lease in Southeast Washington. Plans call for D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and about 200 senior staff members to make the move late next year or in early 2009. The new location, at 225 Virginia Ave. SE, will house numerous other police units, including the 1st Police District, the department's violent crimes branch, the narcotics division and the evidence warehouse. More than 1,100 police department employees will work there." But it's not a cheap or easy endeavor: "The DC Council approved the annual $6.5 million lease but has yet to sign off on as much as $100 million that may be needed to renovate the building, city officials said. The renovations include adding a sixth floor and a parking garage[.]" Mayor Fenty apparently supports the move, but, in a stunner, community activist Dorothy Brizill thinks it's a bad idea, saying that the new location is "more remote." NBC4 has a video on the possible move as well. We'll see what actually transpires....

More posts: 225 Virginia/Old Post Plant/200 I