U.S. General Services Administration
GSA and DOT Release Request for Proposals for the Volpe Center Exchange
Next phase in transforming federal land into state-of-the-art facility
BOSTON -- Today the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an exchange transaction impacting the real property located at 55 Broadway in Cambridge, Massachusetts (property) that is occupied by the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT's) John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center).
The RFP is the second phase of a two-part solicitation process for prequalified respondents interested in entering into an exchange agreement with GSA that will require the selected respondent to design and construct a state-of-the-art facility for the Volpe Center (new facility) on a portion of the property to be retained by the federal government. In exchange, the portion of the property no longer needed by the federal government will be conveyed to the selected respondent after construction of the new facility.
"GSA is the innovation leader in federal government real estate strategy", said Denise Turner Roth, Administrator. "Our approach optimizes our agency's ability to meet our federal partners' requirements, while saving taxpayer dollars and creating economic development opportunities. The RFP is the next important step in providing a state-of-the-art facility for DOT while continuing to establish GSA's important role as a catalyst for economic development in communities across the country."
"The U.S. DOT has been on the forefront of some of the most exciting and innovative breakthroughs in transportation, making our system more safe, efficient, and effective for the American people," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "The Volpe Center plays an important role in this effort, and we look forward to the next stage in its development, as we work to create the best transportation network in the world."
"This RFP is the next step in providing a state-of-the-art DOT facility for the Volpe Center's innovative transportation research," said Victor Mendez, USDOT Deputy Secretary. "It continues to establish government's role as a catalyst for economic development and a leader in innovative approaches to property use. The RFP approach enhances our ability to satisfy the property needs of our federal partners, while saving taxpayer dollars and stimulating local economies."
In August of 2014, GSA released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from the real estate development community which yielded significant interest. GSA, in consultation with DOT, used information from the RFI responses to inform the solicitation process for this exchange transaction. In July of 2015, GSA, in consultation with DOT, issued the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which was the first phase of the two phase solicitation process. Respondents determined qualified through the RFQ process were invited to participate in the current second phase of the solicitation process, the RFP.
About the RFP:
- Those respondents invited to participate in the RFP process will have approximately 90 days to respond.
About the Volpe Center:
- The property is located at 55 Broadway in the Kendall Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- The approximately 14-acre campus is improved with six buildings with a total approximate gross floor area of 375,000 GSF, two surface parking lots and areas of open, landscaped land.
- The property has extensive frontage along Binney Street to the north, Third Street to the east and Broadway to the south. A pedestrian walkway directly abuts the western boundary of the property.
- The facility is located about one mile from the central business district of the city of Boston and has immediate access to the Kendall Square MBTA station and several bus routes that serve the urban area.
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