U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Administrator highlights millions for federal sustainability and clean construction in San Francisco
$11 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds to reduce carbon footprint at the historic Appraisers Building as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan toured the historic Appraisers Building in San Francisco to highlight $11 million in federal funding that will go to building improvements, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. The project will use low-embodied carbon (LEC) glass and steel, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, to address energy loss through the curtain wall at the east side of the building. The project will replicate the existing profile of the deteriorated curtain wall, prevent water leakage and incorporate features to improve overall energy-efficiency.
Administrator Carnahan toured the areas where LEC steel and glazing will be used to modernize the original glass curtain wall which is in dire need of repair. Once installed, the new wall will not only meet resilience and sustainability goals, but also preserve the historic character of the original structure.
“The Appraisers Building is a great example of how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the Inflation Reduction Act are catalyzing the use of clean, sustainable materials while supporting American jobs and manufacturers,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan during her visit. “This project embodies the triple win of all our sustainability efforts: creating good jobs, saving taxpayer dollars, and fostering healthier communities across the country.”
The Biden-Harris Administration is leading by example to tackle the climate crisis through President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan. This investment supports GSA on its ambitious path to achieve net-zero emissions from its portfolio of federal buildings by 2045.
Administrator Carnahan’s visit coincides with the one-year anniversary of the LEC program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in American history. During this time, there has been a dramatic market response with an increase of thousands more environmental product declarations used to identify sustainably-manufactured construction materials, a key goal of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative. The Federal Buy Clean Initiative leverages federal procurement to catalyze markets for asphalt, concrete, glass, and steel that have lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production, use and disposal.
This progress demonstrates how Buy Clean, including GSA’s investments, is driving market demand for LEC materials to boost American innovation, create good-paying jobs, and address the climate crisis. This project is one of more than 150 LEC projects that GSA announced last November.
Since its completion in 1944, the Appraisers Building has housed immigration and customs agencies of the federal government. Today, it is the regional administrative center for the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Approximately 1,000 people visit the facility daily to attend naturalization ceremonies, obtain Permanent Resident Cards or process asylum requests.
GSA plans to initiate the procurement for this work over the coming month.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.4 billion for GSA to use its buying power to promote the development and manufacturing of LEC construction materials, and other ways to make federal facilities more sustainable and cost-efficient. GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act projects will implement new technologies and accelerate GSA’s efforts in achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045.
For more information, please visit GSA’s Appraisers Building project web page.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $100 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.