With the construction crews frantically working it appears that some agencies slated for the big BRAC move in 2011 have been given an opportunity for a three year extension.  The Department of Defense has announced that agencies in leased office space may extend those leases until 2014.  

The benefit is two fold.  First in a time when commercial real estate is feeling the pinch of a down market the owners of buildings in Crystal City and Alexandria will have more time to find new tenants.  With the concern over the timeline and completion of buildings and road infrastructure also looming it gives more time to make sure that the impact of 20,000 plus jobs in the area doesn’t cripple the already over crowded roads.

The plan to move all of these jobs to new buildings at Fort Belvoir, the old Engineering Proving Grounds in Springfield and the MARC Center in Alexandria has been controversial from the beginning.  With no metro station within walking distance of any of these locations employees will be forced to drive or take shuttle buses from nearby metro stations.  

No matter how you look at it when all of the BRAC moves are completed Northern Virginia and Fort Belvoir will never be the same again.