“I’m wondering what efforts, if any have been made to open a 4-6 acre portion of the McMillan Filter Plant, currently owned and operated by The Army Corps of Engineers?”

“Dear PoPville,

Like many before me, I have dug deep into the history of the McMillan Reservoir and Sand Filtration Site. It’s clear that the Bloomindale community is unlikely to agree on what is best for the future of the sand filtration site. However, I’m wondering what efforts, if any have been made to open a 4-6 acre portion of the McMillan Filter Plant, currently owned and operated by The Army Corps of Engineers?

This 4-6 acre space (pictured in attached images) is located adjacent to and Southwest of the McMillan Reservoir beginning at the corner of 1st and Bryant Streets NW. This site, which is on the opposite, west side of 1st St NW from the sand filtration site, is the original location of McMillan Park where the McMillan Fountain once stood. The site is currently fenced off, apparently for security reasons. The portion of the security fence along 1st St NW and Bryant ST NW could be removed with no security risk to the remaining areas of the McMillan Filter Plant. A new security fence could be installed on the western side of this 4-6 acre field.

I have contacted GSA, The National Park Service, and The US Army Corps of Engineers.

A GSA representative stated, “The individual agencies that own the property are the ones who report the property as excess to their needs. So they submit a report of excess to GSA. When then look to see if any other Federal Agencies have a mission need for the property, if they do not then the property is determined surplus to the needs of the Federal Government and we make it available to state and local government agencies and eligible nonprofits for public benefit conveyances. PBCs are a way for the federal government to make land/buildings available at a discount to state/local governments and eligible nonprofits prior to they go to public sale. Only Federal Agencies can report property excess to GSA.

If the property has not been determined as surplus you could contact the landholding agency to find out what their plan is for the property.”

Has anyone made efforts to have The US Army Corps of Engineers identify this piece of land as surplus? If this piece of land was designated as surplus by the US Army COE, it could then eventually become available as a Public Benefit Conveyance or PBC. As a PBC, this land could be taken over by another entity such as the National Park Service and opened up for public use as a park. The field would provide a large community gathering space with views of The Washington Monument.

I’m confident that this is a project the entire Bloomindale Community could agree upon and support.”