U.S. General Services Administration
Heartland Region Completes First FIT Program Project with VA
Nov. 10, 2016
KANSAS CITY, MO -- GSA’s Heartland Region and the Department of Veterans Affairs recently partnered to provide an innovative, modern workspace for 99 employees -- outfitted with furniture at no upfront cost to VA -- all thanks to GSA's Furniture and Information Technology, or FIT, program.
Last month, the Veterans Health Administration administrative functions moved from a leased office into the federal building at 8930 Ward Parkway in Kansas City, Mo. By using the fledgling Total Workplace FIT program, the Public Buildings Service was able to provide the VA with interest-free funding, minimizing their upfront capital needs and enabling them to pay back the cost of furniture and IT in their rent over time.
The space utilization rate for VA at this location is now 101 square feet per person, compliant with the VA's reduce-the-footprint plan and GSA's efforts to reduce the Federal government's rental costs. Using furniture from the GSA FIT program, the VA installed:
- 80 6-by-6 foot workstations
- Nine touchdown workstations
- 10 private offices, ranging in size from 65-to-115 square feet
Some workstations are dedicated to individuals, while others are shared stations due to assignments requiring some staff to regularly work in the field.
GSA’s FIT program is a partnership between PBS and the Federal Acquisition Service's Integrated Workplace Acquisition Center (IWAC). This was the first FIT project in the Heartland Region. Team members included VHA Facility Planner Ryan Locascio, PBS Project Manager Danielle Freeborn, PBS Total Workplace Executive Jane Schuster, PBS Workplace Specialist Allyson Sawatzke, and IWAC Contracting Officer Joe Richardson. Kelsey Mahoney and Bonnie Limbird, interior designers from SFS Architecture, produced the project design and furniture specifications.
Several more regional FIT projects are now in early planning stages. For more information about the VA project, the FIT program, or to inquire about a potential FIT project for your agency, contact regional program coordinator Jane Schuster.