Latest news with #PublicBuildingsService
CBS News
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Trump administration seeks to sell Kluczynski Federal Building, 10 others in Chicago
The Trump administration has put "for sale" signs on hundreds of federal buildings — including nearly a dozen in Chicago. Among the buildings are the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building at 230 S. Dearborn St. The 42-story office building was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and is part of Chicago's Federal Center — together with the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse across Dearborn Street, and the Loop Station Post Office. The Kluczynski Federal Building houses Department of Labor, Drug Enforcement Administration, General Service Administration, and Internal Revenue Service offices, among others — as well as the offices of U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois). The Dirksen Federal Courthouse and the post office are not on the list. But the list also includes several nearby buildings — including the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building at 77 W. Jackson Blvd., which houses offices for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other government bodies, and the 11 West Quincy Court building, which was purchased in 2012 to house the Department of Labor. The Harold Washington Social Security center at 600 W. Madison St., the U.S. Customhouse at 610 S. Canal St., and several other buildings — including some that do not house federal offices or facilities — are also among the 11 buildings designated as "non-core" properties the federal government wants to unload. A spokesperson for the General Services Administration issued this statement: "GSA's Public Buildings Service's foundational mission is to deliver cost-effective workspace solutions for its federal agency customers, enabling them to fulfill their missions for the American taxpayer. "GSA is committed to being a smart steward of taxpayer dollars by cutting unneeded space and reducing costs. Non-core assets cost over $430M annually to operate and maintain, represent over $8.3 billion in recapitalization needs and often do not provide federal employees the high-quality work environments they need to fulfill their missions. The list of non-core assets is subject to change, and [Public Buildings Service] remains fully committed to meeting the mission needs of our customer agencies and delivering world class work environments for the federal workforce as they return to office."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Asheville Federal Complex could be sold by Trump administration; ID'd as ‘non-core asset'
ASHEVILLE – Recently identified as a non-core asset by the Trump administration, the Veach-Baley Federal Complex in downtown Asheville could be put up for sale, according to the U.S. General Services Administration. The agency's Public Buildings Service identified the property as one that is 'not core to government operations.' It's one of three federal properties in North Carolina that's been 'designated for disposal' and could be sold. 'Selling ensures that taxpayer dollars are no longer spent on vacant or underutilized federal spaces,' the GSA wrote on its website listing the 443 federal properties designated for disposal. 'Disposing of these assets helps eliminate costly maintenance and allows us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that support agency missions.' In a March 4 news release, the GSA said selling the non-core properties would save the federal government more than $430 million in annual operating costs. The agency added that the Public Buildings Service will begin to research strategies for 'potential disposition' and other considerations, like occupancy and cost of agency relocation, when determining whether to sell a property. '[Public Buildings Service] welcomes creative solutions, including sale-lease backs, ground leases and other forms of public/private partnerships to drive the full optimization of our space while delivering our federal employees the high quality work environments they need to fulfill their missions,' the agency said in a statement. While the GSA said that most of the non-core assets owned by the federal government consist of office space, the nearly 250,000-square-foot federal complex on Otis Street is one of three locations for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. It's also home to the National Climatic Data Center and the nation's climate archive from the last 30 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More: After DOGE firing, Carl Sandburg National Park Service ranger hopes to be reinstated Recently, it's been a gathering place for local protestors to voice their opposition to the Trump administration's recent efforts to reshape the federal government through mass firings of federal workers. Some of those affected by cuts have been federal employees working on wildfire response and Helene recovery, the Citizen Times previously reported. Designed by architect James A. Wetmore, the building's construction was completed in 1930 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The complex is named after Judge James M. (Jim) Baley, Jr. and John B. 'Jack" Veach, a leader in the state's timber industry. At the time of its construction, it was described as 'one of the most handsome and modernly equipped federal buildings in the country.' The assessed tax value of the property is $4.3 million, according to Buncombe County tax records. The federal government is exempt from paying property taxes in North Carolina. This story will be updated. More: US Forest Service worker firings threaten Helene recovery in WNC, workers say More: Asheville veterans show in numbers with protesters against Trump's federal workforce purge Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jbiba@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Trump administration may sell Federal complex in downtown Asheville
