• By Stephen Staudigl
• June 05, 2020

NCPC Approves Final Master Plan for the Smithsonian’s Suitland Collections Center

At its Thursday, June 4 meeting, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the final master plan for the Smithsonian Institution’s Suitland Collections Center located in Suitland, Maryland. Since the 1950’s the center has been one of the Smithsonian’s primary locations to store collections not on display in its museums. However, the growth of its collections storage has not kept pace with collection needs, leading to outdated and overcrowded facilities.

The 110-acre site currently includes 1.3 million square feet of space located in multiple facilities, which the Smithsonian proposes to increase to 2.4 million square feet. This includes a new collection building, relocation of select buildings, and the demolition of outdated facilities. The Smithsonian will implement the plan, which is connected to several other museum projects, in phases over the next few decades.

Commissioners supported the proposed layout of the new storage buildings that would be built around a common open space connecting to the campus’ administrative buildings, and appreciated the plan enhancements and changes that were made in response to previous NCPC comments. These include an update to achieve a 1:3 parking ratio (one parking spot per three employees), reduction of the number of parking spaces onsite, and an update to the campus’s Transportation Management Plan that will take place in FY 2021. Smithsonian staff will also meet with the National Park Service, Maryland State Highway Administration, and the General Services Administration to discuss ways to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections to the nearby Suitland Metro station that are currently unsafe.

While Commissioners agreed that a proposed new perimeter security fence is justified to protect the center’s important collections, they deferred looking at specifics such as location, height, clearance zones, and lighting until the Smithsonian submits individual projects at the center for review, which is anticipated to begin around 2030. The Commission also required the Smithsonian to submit an updated security analysis with these future submissions.