by Brianna Crandall — February 24, 2014—U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Dan Tangherlini recently announced major investments in the nation’s infrastructure as part of the Fiscal Year 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The legislation will provide important funding to repair and maintain U.S. public infrastructure, pay rent for leased buildings, consolidate offices to save money, and upgrade land ports of entry to secure the nation’s borders and facilitate trade and economic growth.
The more than $9.3 billion investment in the nation’s public buildings enables GSA to properly maintain and improve the real estate assets owned and paid for by the American people, and is expected to have an impact on numerous facilities and communities nationwide.
Investing in the nation’s public buildings
As a result of consecutive years of reduced funding, GSA’s portfolio of facilities have had to forgo over $4 billion worth of capital improvements including major repairs and maintenance as well as critical additions to the inventory, says the agency. The legislation will help restore GSA’s ability to meet the urgent needs of its real estate portfolio by investing more than $1 billion in repair and maintenance of more than 9,000 federal buildings across the country. These are critical investments in infrastructure that will create significant savings by preventing costly emergency repairs in the future, adds GSA.
Construction and border modernization projects
The legislation funds several construction projects that will allow agencies to continue to provide critical services to the American people. One of those projects is the consolidation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the St. Elizabeth’s campus in Washington, DC. With $155 million investment in the St. Elizabeth’s campus, GSA will continue to work to bring DHS into a single campus, which will save on leased space and enhance staff collaboration.
GSA’s request for a number of Land Port of Entry projects is also fully funded. GSA will invest $295 million in critical border crossing and inspection modernization projects that will help expand trade and enhance border security while increasing efficiency and improving safety and security for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Projects include work on the next phase of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Southern California, the busiest border crossing in the world; the expansion and modernization of the U.S. Land Port of Entry facilities at the Port of Laredo in Laredo, Texas; and the project design phase to expand and modernize the border crossing in Columbus, New Mexico.
Making federal real estate smaller and more efficient
In addition, the legislation includes $70 million to further GSA’s efforts to consolidate agencies within existing federally owned space. GSA’s consolidation program will save taxpayer dollars by reducing agency dependence on leased space, increasing energy and water conservation, and reducing the total amount of space occupied by the government.
