Twelve years after its military occupants left, the former Naval Surface Warfare Center in White Oak, MD, a suburb of Washington, is continuing to grow thanks to its new tenants: the FDA. The 662-acre military compound is now home to the FDA as it consolidates its previously scattered labs and offices. The $1.15 billion project — which includes 14 new buildings totaling 3.1 million sq. ft. of labs and offices — is also expected to become the anchor of a new biotech hub just outside the Capital Beltway.

Previously, the FDA rented space at 27 separate buildings and operated under 49 different leases. A 2004 General Services Administration (GSA) study concluded that the government would save $10 million annually by moving the FDA to a consolidated campus.

When the move is complete, the FDA will occupy 130 acres. So far, the government has spent $680 million, a little more than half the projected cost, and GSA. officials say all work has been on time and on budget. The FDA has retained two of the original brick structures, and six new buildings have been completed and two more are under construction. The FDA began moving to White Oak in 2003 where there are now about 4,800 FDA employees. By 2012, the total could grow to 8,800.