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Council hearing spotlights $167.6 million DC Archives project, asks about timing and staffing
Summary
Council members and public advocates pressed the Office of the Secretary about the new DC Archives at UDC, seeking clarity on a proposed move of capital funds into FY27, an estimated $167.6 million capital authority, and additional operational staff needed to run the larger facility.
Anita Bonds, chair of the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor, pressed city officials on Feb. 5 over whether capital funds for the new DC Archives facility at the University of the District of Columbia could be moved forward from FY28 to FY27 to avoid construction delays.
“Thanks to the council's budget actions last year, there is progress on the long sought new DC archives at UDC,” said Bill Rice, a public witness and member of the Friends of the DC Archive, echoing public praise for the project while urging an accelerated funding schedule. Secretary Kimberly Bassett told the committee the project currently carries approved capital budget authority of approximately $167,627,000 and that the team is evaluating cost escalations tied to delayed starts; the administration projects target delivery in late 2030.
Members and witnesses also raised operational questions: how much the Naylor Court interim facility upgrades will cost, what short‑term work is under way, and how many staff will be needed once the new archives is operational. Kim Bender, president of the DC Archives Foundation, asked the council to “move capital funds to FY '27 and increase the operational budget for OPR,” and said the archives will require additional staff to operate the facility and prepare collections for transfer.
OPR’s State Archivist, Dr. Lopez Matthews, explained the budget is split between construction and operations and confirmed the council provided a separate $2,000,000 pot to extend the life of the Naylor Court facility for upgrades. He and other agency witnesses described ongoing value‑engineering exercises intended to preserve climate controls and other record‑protection systems while identifying cost savings elsewhere.
The committee requested concrete timelines and a detailed operations plan showing how capital and operating costs, staffing levels, and required metadata/digitization work will be phased. Chair Bonds asked for follow‑up documents and schedule confirmations for demolition and construction milestones before the next budget cycle.
