Through leasing underutilized space in existing buildings, agencies could generate revenue to fund maintenance, capital revitalization, and other improvements. Image: Tada Images/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA Senate report recommends that federal agencies be allowed to widely lease out real estate and other property that is not excess but that is underused.
“For instance, agency campuses could have extra space they cannot sell, but could provide an optimal home for capital generating opportunities, such as solar panels. Some agencies may also have excess space and equipment they need part time but could otherwise be well-suited to university or private partnerships,” says a report on S-2793, recently approved by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“If agencies are provided the freedom to explore sensible projects to more fully utilize their property, they could generate revenue to fund long-needed maintenance, capital revitalization, and improvements,” it says.
The bill would create a government-wide pilot project under which agencies could sublease “underutilized non-excess real and related personal property” to “any person or entity” including other federal agencies or agencies of local or state government, so long as that action “will not have a negative impact on the mission of GSA or the applicable federal agency.”
It would be up to the GSA to determine the fair market value and make sure it is charged, with the proceeds to be put in a working capital fund to be used for maintenance, capital revitalization, and improvements to the real and related personal property at the subleasing agency.
The bill is designed to build on a pilot program at NASA which the report said “has generated millions of dollars in revenue that were used to fund capital projects and facilities maintenance” and address the long-running problem of the difficulty of disposing of unneeded real estate and other property.
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