- The Trump administration has identified 443 federal properties for potential sale on Tuesday morning. By Wednesday morning, the General Services Administration put out a notice saying a formal list of buildings would be “coming soon.”
- The GSA stated that selling underutilized properties would save taxpayer money and allow for reinvestment in better workspaces.
- It’s unclear how many buildings and which federal buildings are on the chopping block at this time.
Full Story
The Trump administration has announced a plan to downsize the federal government by selling off hundreds of federal properties.
Early reports indicated that 443 federal buildings had been identified for potential sale, according to the General Services Administration (GSA) website. These “non-core” properties spanned 47 states, Washington and Puerto Rico, covering nearly 80 million square feet.
High-profile buildings potentially included
Among the buildings initially listed were the headquarters of the FBI and the Departments of Labor and Justice. Also included were Washington headquarters for the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, the American Red Cross and major office buildings in Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland and Los Angeles.
However, by the end of the day, the list was reduced to 320 properties, with Washington-based buildings removed, including the FBI and DOJ headquarters.
GSA to release final list later
By Wednesday morning, the GSA stated on its website that a full list of properties slated for sale would be published at a later time.
“We are identifying buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations, or non-core properties, for disposal,” The GSA website memo said. “Selling ensures that taxpayer dollars are no longer spent on vacant or underutilized federal spaces. Disposing of these assets helps eliminate costly maintenance and allows us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that support agency missions.”
Bipartisan interest in downsizing
This initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government. While Trump’s plan is on a larger scale, the Biden administration has also shown interest in selling underutilized properties. In December, Biden officials proposed selling eight federal buildings.
Some Democratic lawmakers acknowledged that certain buildings may no longer be necessary but expressed concerns that downsizing could harm local economies.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., told the Washington Post that the federal government is the largest customer of the Washington Metro system.
“Metro’s largest customer every day is the federal government, and it’s a mutually beneficial relationship,” Connolly said. “If you jeopardize those patterns of work and commute, you could upend the entire Metro system that we started over 50 years ago.”
Uncertain timeline for sales
The timeline for these sales remains unclear. Federal law requires that excess properties be offered first to other federal agencies, state and local governments, homeless shelters, and nonprofits before they can be sold to private buyers.
