by Jbs073109 c3 — August 3, 2009—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) marked a major milestone in its implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on July 30 as it brought its total investments in construction projects to date to more than $1 billion.
GSA was appropriated $5.5 billion under the Recovery Act to convert federal buildings into high-performance green buildings and build new energy-efficient federal buildings, courthouses, and land ports of entry.
GSA’s first $1 billion in Recovery Act investments is funding projects at 120 buildings across the country. For example, in Austin, TX, GSA is designing and building a new courthouse which will meet both the future needs of the courts as well as security requirements, and in Boston, MA, GSA is improving energy performance while enhancing security at the John F. Kennedy Federal Building by installing energy-efficient, blast-resistant windows surrounded by improved insulation.
GSA will obligate its remaining $4.5 billion in Recovery Act construction funds by September 30, 2011. Contract bids are reportedly coming in, on average, approximately 8-10 percent lower than expected, allowing GSA to fund additional high-performance features in existing projects, and using existing criteria, consider funding additional projects with the goal of continuing to stimulate the real estate, construction, and manufacturing sectors of the economy.
