A new report released by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) states that roughly $4 billion in repairs are needed to bring federal buildings up to “acceptable quality, health, and safety.” The report acknowledges that U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) officials are aware of buildings’ deterioration, and plans are being developed to address the need for repairs and maintenance to older buildings. Topping the list of buildings in need of repair is the 112-year-old Executive Office Building, which will require $187 million in repairs. There are 44 buildings that need more than $20 million each, and seven of them are on the National Historic Register.
This report, a follow-up on a 1991 GAO study, charges that the GSA has not “institutionalized” its response to these needs. However, the report acknowledges that GSA officials recognize the deterioration of these buildings and have developed several plans to start addressing need for repairs and maintenance to its older buildings. In all, nearly 54 percent of federal buildings under GSA are in need of repair and alteration. The need continues with new buildings added to the list every day.
The GAO report recommends that specific action be taken and time frames developed for GSA’s efforts. For a copy of the report, “Federal Buildings: Billions Are Needed for Repairs and Alterations” (Report GAO/GGD-00-98), visit http://www.gao.gov.cagner@aia.org.
Based on a report from AIA’s Angle
