NCPC Provides Input on Potential Women's Suffrage National Monument Sites

• By Stephen Staudigl
• December 05, 2025

NCPC Provides Input on Potential Women's Suffrage National Monument Sites

At its Thursday, December 4 meeting the National Capital Planning Commission provided input on four potential sites for the Women's Suffrage National Monument submitted by the National Park Service in collaboration with the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation. The four potential sites are Constitution Gardens West, Constitution Gardens East, Hockey Fields East, and Washington Monument South. The proposed monument will commemorate the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

While Commissioners provided feedback on all four sites, they found that the Constitution Gardens West site best meets the applicant's goals and supported advancing it for further study. It is located at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 19th Street, NW in Constitution Gardens, a legacy to the U.S. Constitution and the republic's founding. The location provides thematic connections to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial and the Vietnam Women's Memorial and a visual connection to the Washington Monument. It would complement the National Mall Plan and the Trust for the National Mall's vision for Constitution Gardens as a place of 24-hour activity throughout all seasons.

Prior to that, the Commission provided feedback on concept plans submitted by the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation for Washington Union Station Lighting Upgrades. Proposed enhancements include uplighting to accentuate the station's architectural features to make it a more prominent gateway while improving visibility and safety, supporting Executive Order 14252 Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful. While the submission includes interior and exterior lighting, NCPC's review is limited to the exterior.

NCPC supported the project's goals and commended the applicant for using existing lighting fixtures and mounting equipment in ways that are not easily visible. Commissioners also recommended that the applicant continue to refine the lighting approach to ensure that the station's front façade provides differentiation in brightness and contrast while minimizing light loss and spillage.

The Commission approved preliminary site development plans for the Fallen Journalists Memorial submitted by the National Park Service in collaboration with the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation. The proposed memorial would be located on a 0.3-acre triangular park at the intersection of Independence Avenue, Maryland Avenue, and 3rd Street, SW. It would commemorate America's commitment to a free press by honoring journalists who sacrificed their lives in service to that cause. The design includes a hardscape stone plaza overlaid with a grove of trees and an array of cast glass elements.

While Commissioners approved preliminary designs, they requested the applicant provide more information about the glass elements' durability and how they will be maintained and cleaned, as well as how climbing and skateboarding on memorial elements will be addressed, at the next review stage. They recommended that the applicant consider moving the east entryway to align with views of the U.S. Capitol as viewed from the memorial's center and requested continued evaluation of Remembrance Hall's height (the central circular feature) to ensure that views to the U.S. Capitol Dome are appropriately framed once the entryway is aligned. Commissioners encouraged the applicant to consider long-term maintenance to ensure that the memorial remains safe and beautiful well into the future.

Before adjourning, the Commission heard an information presentation on the New Stadium at the RFK Campus presented by representatives of the District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the Washington Commanders. No action is taken on information presentations. The proposed 65,000 seat domed stadium will serve as an anchor of the 180-acre site that formerly housed RFK Stadium. The stadium design and entitlement process will take place in 2026, with an opening scheduled for fall 2030 in time for the NFL season.

Commission actions and related materials are available online.

The Commission approved three items on the Consent Calendar (no presentations were made). Unless otherwise noted, the projects are in Washington, DC.

1. Preliminary and final site development plans for the Smithsonian Metrorail Station Vent Modifications, 1200 Independence Avenue, SW. (7466)

2. Preliminary and final building plans for the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building T-Mobile Antenna Modifications, 1900 E Street, NW. (8700)

3. Preliminary site development plans for the Clara Barton Parkway Cantilever Replacement, Montgomery County, Maryland. (8648)

The Executive Director approved five items under authority delegated by the Commission. Unless otherwise noted, the projects are in Washington, DC.

1. Preliminary site development plans for the National Zoological Park Great Flight Aviary Accessible Walkway, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW. (8701)

2. Preliminary and final site development plans for the National Zoological Park Elephant Yards Stormwater Mitigation Repair, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW. (8702)

3. Preliminary and final building plans for the Veterans Affairs Headquarters Building T-Mobile Antenna Modifications, 810 Vermont Avenue NW. (8697)

4. Preliminary and final building plans for the Hubert H. Humphrey Federal Building T-Mobile Antenna Modifications, 200 Independence Avenue, SW. (8698)

5. Preliminary and final site and building plans for the James J. Rowley Training Center Tactical Village Improvements, 9200 Powder Mill Road, Laurel, Maryland. (8719)