Two Md. sites finalists for Social Security center
Two Maryland locations have been chosen as finalists for the new location of the Social Security Administration’s National Data Center, members of the state’s congressional delegation said Tuesday.
The General Services Administration has selected sites on Johnnycake Road in Woodlawn and Bennett Creek Boulevard in Urbana as finalists for the data center, which the delegation members said would create up to 250 new jobs. The Social Security Administration is headquartered in Baltimore.
“The decision to build the new National Data Center at one of these two Maryland sites is good for the state and for the mission of the Social Security Administration,” Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski said in a statement.
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin called the center “a priority project for our state.”
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings put in a plug for his district: “Obviously, I believe the Baltimore area has been a fine home for the Social Security Administration, and I would be most happy to see the Data Center remain in Woodlawn.”
Each site will be subjected to an environmental assessment to analyze potential impacts on the surrounding communities, according to the delegation members. The center, which is to be built with federal stimulus funds, will measure approximately 300,000 square feet.
Comments
Seems to me, it would make sense to keep the entiree SSA complex in Woodlawn. I've never even heard of Urbana, but I live in Upperco, so what do I know?
Posted by: Michelle Brown | August 3, 2010 7:36 PM
Urbana is essentially Frederick, which has long been rumored to be the next locale for the NCC. I work in the NCC, the building is a dilapidated mess. However, any replacemnt is still YEARS away from happening. I'd love to see all the folks with their 5 minute commutes suddenly have to handle the drive to Frederick.I'm guessing there'd be some sudden retirements. LOL.
Posted by: llct1 | August 3, 2010 8:30 PM
For COOP reasons, it's best to have the NCC in Urbana and separate the Data Center from the HQ location. Also, it would ease traffic on 695 for the commute to the Woodlawn complex. However, politics being politics, we have a Democrat (Cummings) competing with a Republican (Bartlett) for federal stimulus funds and jobs for their congressional districts.
Posted by: garciahome | August 3, 2010 10:15 PM
I have many friends who work for SSA, if they move the building to urbana, then most of them wouldn't be able to get to work. Many people who are blind work at SSA in customer service and other jobs there as well. I have a friend who works as a transcriber who transcribes text to braille for millions of people in the US who cant see.
Posted by: unkown | August 4, 2010 1:43 AM
For employment estimation and forecast development purposes, it would be useful to specify the number of jobs in each of Maryland locations. It would also be helpful to indicate that Urbana is the place in Frederick, Maryland instead of Urbana in Illinois.
Posted by: Sunflower | August 4, 2010 3:59 AM
For llc1
Why would you "love to see..." people unconvinced. I don't understand the hate.
Posted by: Keith M | August 4, 2010 9:14 AM
this new datacenter would not affect anyone at headquarters unless you work in the datacenter. so jobs for blind people would not be affected nor anyone who works in ops.
Posted by: Froggy | August 4, 2010 10:37 AM
Where on Johnnycake is there enough space for a new NCC?
Posted by: Viola | August 4, 2010 11:06 AM
Woodlawn is the home for the Social Security Administration, they should not even be considering moving the new data center to the Frederick location. Keep the data center in the Woodlawn area, that is where SSA has placed its roots and with the current economic conditions taking additional revenue from the Woodlawn area would be a slap in the face of the community that opened it's arms to SSA in the first place.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 4, 2010 1:02 PM
For those unfamiliar with this project, the buidling of the new data center means that only a handful (60-100) of the existing SSA employees at the current NCC will move to the new location, therefore, there will be little to no impact to traffic around Woodlawn regardless if the site is in Woodlawn or Urbana.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 4, 2010 2:32 PM
Robert C Jones worked for Barbara Mikulski and lobbied for SECURITY BOULEVARD VENTURES LLC who owns the property on Johnnycake Road so I think that is a lock on where the site will be located.
http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=11424
Posted by: JackSprat | August 4, 2010 4:16 PM
Woodlawn did NOT open its arms to SSA, the government chose Woodlawn to bolster the economy of the community. Let's keep the facts straight.
Regarding the question, where on Johnnycake Rd. is there enough space? The section of Johnnycake Rd. west of Rolling Rd. heading toward Hollifield. There is a huge parcel of farm land available now that the farmer sold the property a couple of years ago. There's nothing there but acres of wide open farm land ready to be "improved".
Posted by: Anonymous | August 5, 2010 9:44 AM
Unknown wrote:
"It would also be helpful to indicate that Urbana is the place in Frederick, Maryland instead of Urbana in Illinois."
You know, the headline states two *Maryland* sites have been selected. I would like to think that folks could noodle through that it wouldn't be an Urbana in another state.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 5, 2010 2:08 PM