General Services Administration announces $23.8 million for projects to improve federal facilities and benefit local communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

April 10, 2024

NEWARK, NJ – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced $23.8 million for 13 projects at federal buildings across 10 states through GSA’s Good Neighbor Program, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)–the largest climate investment in history–the projects will promote improvements to federal facilities identified in collaboration with local communities. These projects will also help these buildings meet high performance green building (HPGB) and low-embodied carbon (LEC) standards. The projects announced for funding today align with President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which directed the federal government to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to do so in ways that advance environmental justice and equity for all Americans.

GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan made the announcement during her visit around the Rodino Federal Building, which will receive $3.6 million for stormwater management, tree planting, and building resilience and adaptation updates that will also benefit the surrounding community. She was joined on her visit by Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome, Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer, White House Council on Environmental Quality, students from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Newark City officials. 

In addition to the Good Neighbor program projects, the nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse is also slated to receive $3.9 million in IRA funding for LEC glass to replace its windows later this year. 

“These investments are another way we remain good neighbors and collaborate with communities as we deliver the highest quality workplaces for GSA’s client agencies and best value to the public,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We’re committed to investing in America so we can encourage vitality, economic mobility, and climate resilience while ensuring federal buildings enrich the communities they inhabit.”

“At the core of the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to address climate change, build a sustainable future, and advance environmental justice is President Biden’s belief that every person deserves clean air, clean water and a healthy environment,” said Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer Dr. Jalonne White Newsome. “All of the projects announced today are for much needed repairs on federal buildings in communities that are overburdened by pollution and marginalized by underinvestment and will help make federal facilities better neighbors in their communities.”

The 13 sites were selected for their opportunity to make a positive impact on surrounding neighborhoods that are disadvantaged as identified by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. GSA also evaluated potential community impacts using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EJScreen, an environmental justice screening and mapping tool.

“From stormwater runoff into local waterways to heat islands created by parking lots, we know that federal buildings have an impact on their surroundings and are sometimes the primary way members of the public interact with their government,” said GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Elliot Doomes. “We envision these projects being a model for how GSA can identify and undertake projects in collaboration with local stakeholders that will maximize benefits to the communities we serve and enhance their environment.”

“As we confront the urgent realities of climate change, we must continue to invest in resilient infrastructure that mitigates the impacts of natural disasters and paves the way for a more sustainable future,” said Senator Cory Booker. “These climate infrastructure investments are exactly what we envisioned when we were crafting the Inflation Reduction Act with President Biden. This investment in the Rodino Federal Building campus—and Inflation Reduction Act funding for infrastructure projects throughout New Jersey—will bolster clean energy, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen our communities to better withstand the effects of climate change.”

“I was proud to help the City of Newark secure almost $3.7 million to improve stormwater runoff and make three federal buildings more environmentally friendly,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “Sustainable projects are good for the environment and good for the economy because they create good-paying jobs. I am a strong supporter of actions and legislation that lower our carbon footprint and make infrastructure more sustainable nationwide.”

The 13 projects include site repairs and enhancements that will have benefits including:

• Sustainability performance. Some projects will convert federal facilities into high performance green buildings by improving how the sites manage stormwater, extreme heat, and support local habitats. For example, stormwater management improvements could include converting concrete parking areas into new bioretention areas and permeable pavements while heat island mitigation could include replacing traditional sidewalks with tree plantings and reflective pavements. In general, projects addressing urban heat islands through tree planting can lower temperatures by 2.9℉ as compared with unforested urban areas. 
• Offsite benefits to disadvantaged communities. In addition to helping address urban heat islands and stormwater issues (above), some projects will address issues such as sensitive watersheds, tree canopies, floodplains, equitable access to parks, and other impacts on nearby disadvantaged communities. Others will restore meaningful community use through site beautification and increased greenspace with native wildlife plants while mitigating pollutants.
• Low-embodied carbon standards. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, under which the federal government is prioritizing the purchase of American-made clean construction materials, some projects will incorporate LEC materials. Through these investments, GSA will reduce and avoid carbon emissions. For example, through the use of low-embodied carbon materials for these projects, GSA estimates it will avoid over 37 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.
• Addressing needed repairs. Projects include those needing site repairs to prevent escalating costs to taxpayers in the future.

Projects receiving IRA funding are listed below:

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.4 billion for GSA to use its buying power to promote the development and manufacturing of low-embodied carbon construction materials, and to make federal facilities more sustainable and cost-efficient. GSA’s IRA projects will implement new technologies and accelerate GSA’s efforts in achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045. 

For more information on GSA IRA investments, please visit GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act web page.

Today’s announcement supports GSA’s Equity Action Plan, which affirms the agency’s commitment to advance equity, reduce systemic burdens and expand access to opportunity.

As a federal agency, GSA has a responsibility to pursue its real estate activities in ways that provide benefits to client agencies, taxpayers, and local communities, as seen through initiatives such as the Good Neighbor Program. The Good Neighbor Program provides support for GSA’s nationwide real estate portfolio and their stakeholders with the technical resources, training, and outreach support they need to implement business practices that foster positive community development.

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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 approximately $100 billion in annual 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 @USGSA.