National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility in Fairmont, West Virginia.
On Aug. 28, 2024, GSA signed a new, superseding lease agreement at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont, West Virginia, for the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This facility supports NOAA’s federal data center consolidation goals and includes advanced computing for weather predictions, polar satellites, atmospheric conditions and more.
This lease action, valued at $114 million over the 20-year lease term, was initiated to extend the lease term at the facility and incorporate a 48,352 usable square foot expansion. This move aligns with NOAA’s significant on-going investment in the facility and secures the government’s occupancy through 2044.
“The close collaboration between NOAA and the General Services Administration has been instrumental in advancing the infrastructure and facilities at the NOAA Environmental Security Computing Center in Fairmont, West Virginia,” said Radhika Subramanian, NOAA’s Deputy Director of High Performance Computing and Communications. “The recent expansion, supporting the installation of the Rhea high-performance computing system, significantly enhances NOAA’s capacity to conduct critical research in weather, climate, ocean, and ecosystem prediction. This partnership continues to provide the foundation for NOAA’s growing scientific mission at this key facility.”
NOAA occupies over 75% of the facility and continues to invest in their capabilities onsite. This superseding lease agreement is part of GSA’s continued work with NOAA to maximize the use of the Fairmont site in support of NOAA’s scientific mission.
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