GSA awards construction contract for CISA Headquarters on the St. Elizabeths West Campus

August 19, 2024

Award is GSA’s largest single Inflation Reduction Act investment to date as part of Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda

WASHINGTON – On August 16, 2024, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the selection of Clark Construction to provide general construction for the new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Headquarters at the St. Elizabeths West Campus in Washington, D.C. The CISA construction award of approximately $524 million includes an investment of $115,880,000 in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, making it GSA’s largest single IRA project investment to date. 

“The CISA project is a flagship example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is fulfilling its commitment to invest in America, both here in Washington, D.C., and all across the country,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “St. Elizabeths is a place where thousands of dedicated public servants work to keep America safe and explore new technologies, so construction will support those goals, all while reducing our environmental impact, saving taxpayer dollars through energy efficiency, and creating jobs in the community.”

The Biden-Harris Administration is leading by example to tackle the climate crisis through President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which establishes an ambitious path to achieve net-zero emissions from federal buildings by 2045.

The project consists of the construction of a new 630,000 square foot federal building that will provide space to house CISA in a new sustainable state-of-the-art facility. The investment includes approximately $80 million to purchase low-embodied carbon construction materials including asphalt, concrete, glass and steel, and $35 million to meet high-performance green building standards. These investments aim to promote domestic manufacturing and clean energy industries.

“Across DHS, our team works tirelessly to confront and mitigate threats to our critical infrastructure,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Bringing the extraordinary Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to the Department of Homeland Security’s St. Elizabeths Campus will better facilitate collaboration across our components and offices, and inspire cohesive work to ensure our nation’s infrastructure is secure and resilient. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda, and our partners in Congress and at the General Services Administration, today we are taking a big step towards building a more united, more efficient, and more effective DHS.”

The CISA headquarters design sets a new standard for the energy performance of federal buildings in the National Capital Region, with an anticipated energy use of intensity of 28.9 thousand Btus per square foot per year. That is a 72% reduction compared to typical office buildings (CBECS 2003 baseline). Additionally, the project includes sustainable design features such as chilled beams, a dedicated outside air system with energy recovery and demand-controlled ventilation, advanced lighting controls, and a high-performance building envelope. Lastly, the project is anticipated to achieve LEED Gold v4 certification using the building design and construction standards set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“The announcement for this contract marks a significant step in the right direction for a project that will transform D.C.’s workforce,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. “The new Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Headquarters at St. Elizabeths West Campus will help bring skilled, high-tech jobs east of the Anacostia River.”

The addition of the CISA headquarters to the St. Elizabeths West campus is part of an ongoing effort to consolidate DHS in one location. 

“CISA requires a long-term solution for our headquarters to best meet the needs of our Agency. We are pleased that GSA has awarded a building construction contract to move the process forward,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly.

The projects at St. Elizabeths support hundreds of jobs each year, leveraging local ties and economic benefits to the community, including small businesses. Since 2010, the St. Elizabeths Opportunities Center has raised awareness about project objectives, employment and business opportunities, and other community benefits. Local outreach has resulted in 435 small business contracts and approximately 35 local small businesses completing the Small Business Administration 8(a) certification program. With the partnership of training organizations and general contractors, over 2,500 residents have been employed on the St. Elizabeths West Campus.

“The construction of this headquarters underscores the government’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s cyber landscape while also maintaining the rich history of the St. Elizabeths Campus and revitalizing the surrounding community,” said Elliot Doomes, GSA’s Public Buildings Service Commissioner. “Our work here also demonstrates how we can incorporate sustainable practices and create good jobs in projects of all types.”

This announcement also furthers the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, under which the federal government is, for the first time, prioritizing the purchase of low-embodied carbon materials that have lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production, use and disposal. These investments aim to expand America’s industrial capacity for manufacturing goods and materials of the future, address the climate crisis, and create good-paying jobs for workers in the region.

The IRA includes $3.4 billion for GSA to use its buying power to promote the development and manufacturing of low-embodied carbon construction materials and to make federal facilities more  sustainable and cost-efficient. GSA’s IRA projects will implement new technologies and accelerate GSA’s efforts toward achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045. Through these investments, GSA estimates that it could reduce carbon emissions by over 2 million metric tons in operational greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the equivalent of taking about 500,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

For more information about GSA’s IRA projects, visit GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act web page.

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About CISA: As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

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 over $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.