Latest news with #PublicBuildingsService
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More than 1,800 National Science Foundation workers abruptly kicked out of agency headquarters
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On the evening of Tuesday (June 24), more than 1,800 employees working at the National Science Foundation (NSF) learned they would soon be kicked out of their office. The next day, officials at a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) press conference confirmed the news: HUD would be taking over NSF's Alexandria, Virginia headquarters, effective "as quickly as possible," Michael Peters, Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service for the General Services Administration (GSA), said during the briefing. An employee of NSF said in an interview with E&E News that they had "literally zero idea" the move was coming. The agency had only relocated to the brand-new building in 2017. Dozens of NSF workers gathered outside the building to protest the decision on Wednesday (June 25). The crowd chanted slogans like "We won't go!" And "N-S-F." "This is bulls---," one NSF employee who did not wish to be named told Washington's News4. Meanwhile, inside the building, officials presented the move as a step toward the Trump administration's stated vision for increased federal efficiency. "The people of HUD are excited to have a new home to deliver excellent services," said HUD Secretary Scott Turner. Approximately 2,700 HUD employees are expected to relocate to the NSF building from their current headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, which was built in the 1960s. While standing in front of a banner declaring "The New Golden Age of HUD," Peters added: "This is a win for everyone involved." However, not everyone involved agrees. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents a number of NSF workers, strongly criticized the move. In a press release, the union called it a "callous disregard for taxpayer dollars and NSF employees." The organization also alleged that it was told the relocation would include new additions to the Weaver building, such as a private executive suite, dining room and custom gym for Turner. "The hypocrisy is truly dumbfounding," the organization said. "That's ridiculous and it's not true," Turner said at the press conference. "The Trump Administration's displacement of over 1,800 National Science Foundation employees from its headquarters with no place to go, adds insult to injury when the Administration is pushing a 55% cut to NSF's budget," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, chimed in, also dismayed at reports of the possible luxuries that'd be installed as part of the move. "We should be investing in our scientists and innovation to make America globally competitive. I will fight to make sure NSF workers are protected and that we invest in their important work," she said. Members of the House of Representatives' Science, Space and Technology Committee also condemned the measure. "The Trump administration's egregious, corrupt, and disgraceful abuse of power continues, this time by kicking dedicated scientists out of their building," wrote panel member Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California). "Once again, science loses, the American taxpayer loses, and our competitors, like China, win." Related Stories: — NASA's been pulling out of major astronomy meetings — and scientists are feeling the effects — Trump administration's NOAA layoffs affected the space weather service that tracks solar storms — US Representatives worry Trump's NASA budget plan will make it harder to track dangerous asteroids The announcement comes at an uncertain time in NSF's history. The agency was founded in 1950 with the goal of advancing American science, technology and engineering. Since then, it has played a key role in these fields from developing the barcode to observing gravitational waves and imaging the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. But over the last six months, the Trump administration has frozen or terminated more than 1,600 NSF grants, with plans to reduce the agency's budget by more than half. HUD, meanwhile, faces a 44% cut to its 2026 funding should the current administration's budget proposal pass. It is currently unclear where — or how — NSF's displaced employees will be relocated. Some had just recently moved back to Virginia on short notice after a federal judge reversed the Trump administration's decision to fire dozens of probationary employees. Glenn Youngkin, the Governor of Virginia, expressed his hope that the Trump administration would keep NSF in the commonwealth, but at a different location. For now, it appears GSA is taking responsibility for figuring out where to move NSF workers. "GSA will continue to support and work with the National Science Foundation on space that allows them to fulfill their mission," the agency said in a press release. NSF declined request for comment.
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
