I was going to unreview another book today, but nobody really cared about the one I didn't review yesterday, so I'm going to blather on about something else. Namely the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
I've been listening to a feature on NPR this week about the closing of the U.S. Army's most famous hospital. They've been covering it all week long so far on Morning Edition, and they've had some interesting angles to discuss.
Most of us probably remember Walter Reed (the facility, not the man) for the 2007 Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal, but the hospital has had a long and storied history, being the country's leading military hospital for over 100 years, sitting on a campus that includes a Civil War battlefield, and helping countless soldiers and their families recover from the wounds of war.
General and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower was treated and died there. So did generals "Black Jack" Pershing, Douglas MacArthur and George Marshall.
Here's a glimpse of what the hospital looked like in 1919:
But now that it's closing, there is some debate as to what to do with the property. More than half, about 70 acres, of the facility will transfer to the District of Columbia, and the rest will revert to the State Department. There's been no announcement as far as any official plans for the grounds, but D.C. residents have plenty of ideas.
There's talk of student housing, or affordable public family housing. Others want parks, or retail space. I can't imagine anything being done to the iconic buildings, but with the government in charge I suppose you never know.
There will be some interesting developments to come. For example, for the last hundred years, the property has been federal land, and therefore un-taxable. If it reverts to the city, and especially if it becomes some kind of commercial space, there are estimates that it could generate 20 million dollars a year in tax revenue.
Anyway, I've never served in the military, but some of my ancestors and relatives have, and I'll be curious to find out what ends up happening with this famous hospital.
