As part of Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda, GSA and DHS announce nearly $288 million to construct sustainable buildings at St. Elizabeths West Campus

August 17, 2023

Projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act will create new homes for key agencies, prioritize sustainability, create jobs

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a nearly $288-million investment of Inflation Reduction Act funds to make DHS’s new headquarters a model for sustainability as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The announcement comes one day after the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in U.S. history.

The funding will enable GSA to complete the construction of three of the remaining six new projects at the St. Elizabeths campus while also furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative to catalyze investments in cleaner construction materials. The project will prioritize the procurement of low-embodied carbon concrete, steel, and asphalt for new construction, as well as repair and reinforcement of existing structures. Technology investments are slated to include LED lighting, direct digital control building automation systems, photovoltaic panels (solar panels), occupancy and indoor air quality sensors, advanced meters/submeters, and a water-smart irrigation system. These efforts are expected to help avoid thousands of metric tons of embodied carbon emissions.

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Headquarters (CISA): $140.8 million (estimated) IRA investment for the construction of a new 629,595 square feet, LEED Gold facility. Construction is expected to start in early 2024.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement Headquarters (ICE): $80.8 million (estimated) IRA investment for the construction of a new all-electric 570,000 square feet LEED Gold facility. Construction is expected to start in late 2024.
• DHS Garage and Gatehouse: $67 million (estimated) IRA investment for the construction of a new employee and visitor vehicle processing, security checkpoints, electric vehicle charging stations, and 1,500 space garage built with reinforced low-embodied concrete.

Construction is expected to begin in 2024 on the new CISA and ICE headquarters, which will support approximately 6,500 DHS employees. Upon completion of these buildings, St. Elizabeths will house more than 12,000 DHS employees, and provide approximately 3,500 parking spaces.  

The Biden-Harris Administration is leading by example to tackle the climate crisis through President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which establishes an ambitious path to achieve net-zero emissions from federal buildings by 2045. 

GSA also announced, and signed, a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) [PDF - 327 KB] with Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) to further the federal government’s sustainability goal of advancing the decarbonization of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area’s electrical grid. Through the MOU, GSA will work with Pepco to plan the infrastructure upgrades needed to install electric vehicle charging stations and electrification projects at the St. Elizabeths campus and across the District of Columbia. 

“With this project, we’re modeling a comprehensive approach to sustainability in the federal footprint—using low-embodied carbon materials, new technologies, and a strong partnership on grid decarbonization with the local utility company,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “It’s a great example of how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is a triple-win: we’re creating good jobs, saving taxpayer dollars, and ensuring a healthier, brighter future for our communities and our kids.”

“Locating more of our agencies together enables the Department of Homeland Security to be more cohesive, efficient, and effective. The Inflation Reduction Act funding announced today will help our Department fulfill its mission to keep our country safe,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These projects will save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually and model modern environmental and sustainability standards.”

These projects support hundreds of jobs each year, leveraging local ties and economic benefits to the community, including small businesses. Since 2010, the St. Elizabeths Opportunities Center has raised awareness about project objectives, employment and business opportunities, and other community benefits. Local outreach has resulted in 435 small business contracts and approximately 35 local small businesses completing the Small Business Administration 8(a) certification program. With the partnership of training organizations and general contractors, over 2,500 residents have been employed on the St. Elizabeths West Campus.

“The Inflation Reduction Act put clean technology solutions at the top of our nation’s priorities list – and that includes making sure our federal buildings are models for sustainability. This investment, part of President Biden’s Buy Clean initiative, will not only provide DHS with a good new home, it will also generate thousands of good-paying jobs including for small and medium sized businesses,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.

“The funding announced today in furtherance of the Department of Homeland Security consolidation project at St. Elizabeths, which I have championed for over a decade, is of great importance to the federal government and will result in significant savings for taxpayers,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

“This MOU is important recognition of the experience and expertise that our company brings to the table and our integral role in helping to enable a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for our customers and communities. We look forward to supporting GSA’s sustainability efforts and seeking opportunities to bolster our under-resourced communities and local and diverse suppliers and businesses,” said Pepco Holdings President and CEO Tyler Anthony.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing about $87 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.