MOVING PIECES ON THE DC MONOPOLY BOARD

To save some dough, the DC government will consolidate various agencies away from downtown. This could spark development in underutilized and forgotten neighborhoods, the same way the Reeves Center helped get development going along U Street.

Part or all of the Metropolitan Police Department is "relocating late next year to the old Washington Star and Washington Post building on Virginia Avenue downtown," reports NBC4. The WaPo also had a story.

"We have two main goals: One is to improve efficiency or our operations and the other is to reduce expenses," said Lars Etzkorn, director of the office property management.

Other city agencies that plan to relocate are:
* The city street and transportation office, which is moving to Anacostia,
* Consumer affairs and chief financial officials are moving to the renewed Southwest waterfront mall, and
* Employment services is moving from its downtown location to Minnesota Avenue near Northeast.

The city also plans to build a major forensics lab in Southwest.