April 10, 2007

Washington, D.C. — Plans to build the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C., have moved one step closer to completion, following a favorable ruling by the National Capital Planning Commission.

On April 5, 2007, the Commission commented favorably upon a revised concept design for the Museum, to be located underground in Judiciary Square, adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the District of Columbia Courts complex. The above-ground elements of the project include entrance pavilions, perimeter security, skylights and landscaping. NCPC staff believes that the proposed architectural and urban designs resolve various functional issues while responding to both the objectives of the Judiciary Square Master Plan and the security needs of the D.C. Courts.

"We are very pleased that the National Capital Planning Commission has given approval to our design, as we continue to move forward with this living legacy and tribute to American law enforcement," said Craig W. Floyd, chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which is leading the Museum project. "Not only will the National Law Enforcement Museum be a major addition to the District of Columbia's cultural community, it will also enrich the beauty of Judiciary Square, the historic center of our nation's criminal justice system."

With groundbreaking scheduled for the summer of 2008, the National Law Enforcement Museum will be the largest and most comprehensive museum of its kind when it opens in 2011. The 90,000-square-foot facility will be a high-tech, interactive experience featuring driving and use of force training simulators, a forensic lab and a 911 emergency call center. The Museum is being designed by renowned Washington, D.C., architect Davis Buckley, who also designed the Memorial.

Legislation authorizing the National Law Enforcement Museum to be built on federal land was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in November 2000. The NCPC, which provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in the National Capital Region, gave preliminary approval for the pavilions in December 2004, but the design of the pavilions and plaza has since changed.

The new concept design responds to concerns raised during the consultative process by lowering the cornice heights of the pavilions, improving their alignment, and reducing their overall bulk so that they are better integrated with the surrounding court buildings. The plan also modifies proposed plaza skylights so that they are flush with the pavement; uses bollards and retaining walls to provide perimeter security and improve site grading conditions; and increases the width of the access to the central plaza between E Street, NW, and the Old D.C. Courthouse.

In February, the NLEOMF formally unveiled plans for the National Law Enforcement Museum and launched the public phase of its fundraising campaign, called A Matter of Honor. Former Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush are the national honorary co-chairs of the campaign, which seeks to raise $80 million to build the Museum. During its first year alone, the Museum is expected to bring more than half a million visitors to the District of Columbia and generate $550,000 in new tax revenue for the city.

Learn more about the National Law Enforcement Museum and the A Matter of Honor Campaign at www.LawEnforcementMuseum.org.



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Kevin Morison, 202.737.7134