GSA celebrated our 75th anniversary this year. President Harry S. Truman established GSA in 1949 to streamline the federal government’s administrative work. Back then, a computer filled an entire room and our offices looked much different than they do today! While so much has changed, our agency’s focus on maximizing efficient use of resources remains the same.
GSA recently reached substantial completion on a project to relocate the Department of Housing and Urban Development from leased to federal space in Richmond, Virginia. The move saves $4.68 million and the new workplace design improves HUD’s space utilization by 74%.
GSA also recently partnered with the Senate Sergeant at Arms to relocate Senator John Fetterman’s office from a senate-direct lease into the William S. Moorhead Federal Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We invite you to read how this project team’s unique approach ensured efficient use of time, federal assets and taxpayer dollars.
It’s critical to ensure our investments align with the strategic direction of our federal customer agencies. After much joint discussion and analysis, GSA signed a $114 million, 20-year superseding lease agreement in August to house National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operations. The lease at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont, West Virginia, secures the government’s continued occupancy at this unique facility through 2044. The move aligns with NOAA’s federal data center consolidation goals and ongoing investments at the facility.
Despite careful planning, sometimes the unexpected strikes. When Hurricane Florence hit the historic Alton Lennon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 2018, the facility was significantly damaged by wind, rain and water intrusion. With emergency funding approved by Congress, GSA Regions 3 and 4 joined forces to repair the facility. GSA was honored to join the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina in September at a rededication ceremony to celebrate completed repairs.
As we wrap up the new terra cotta roof installation at the Lewis F. Powell U.S. Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia, other work there continues. The roof replacement is part of a larger project that also includes an innovative investment in low embodied carbon glass to replace the windows. This investment allows us to continue to support the Court’s mission through sustainable improvements to this historic structure.
As steward of over 300 properties on the National Register of Historic Places, we are honored that others continue to recognize the significant impact of our work. The Passport Office we completed in late 2022 in the historic Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. Federal Building in Philadelphia was recently recognized with a Construction Award for Rehabilitation by Preservation Pennsylvania.
Changing times can present new challenges, and we continue to meet the moment. Many PBS applications and systems used by our agency customers are converting to using Login.gov for authentication. Learn more about this change to provide a higher level of security and to modernize our authentication tools.
Utility costs, water being the fastest growing utility cost, present unique challenges. GSA has experienced a 40% increase in water rates over the past 10 years. We invite you to read about the innovative work our Green Proving Ground is doing to explore new means of water conservation, including their recent assessment of alternative water treatment for cooling towers.
We know that clarity about your project’s acquisition process helps our work to proceed smoothly. We invite you to register for our Client Enrichment Series webinar on “Conversational Contracting” on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. EDT. We’ll discuss some of the language and concepts of key contracting elements.
We look forward to finding new ways to increase government efficiency for 75 more years, and beyond!
Tom Lyman
Acting Regional Commissioner
Public Buildings Service
GSA Mid-Atlantic Region
This article is part of the Fall issue of the FOCUS newsletter. Please visit the Focus Newsletter page to read our newsletter.
U.S. General Services Administration
