National Park Service seeks to hand administrative control of D.C. Armory to city

The National Park Service has submitted a request to the National Capital Planning Commission to move administrative jurisdiction of the D.C. Armory to the District of Columbia, though the United States will retain title to the property. The armory, a 9.4-acre facility adjacent to the future Washington Commanders stadium and a 180-acre Hill East redevelopment, has served as the D.C. National Guard’s headquarters since July 1941.

The redevelopment, promoted by outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser, reduces the area available for Guard operations, prompting the Guard to explore relocating its headquarters to an 80-acre site at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in the city’s northwest. No definitive relocation decision has been made, and the proposal will be reviewed at the planning commission’s next meeting on Sept. 3. Guard units from multiple states continue to operate in the capital and are expected to remain through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term, ending in January 2029.