The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is considering selling off hundreds of “non-core” federal properties, according to the General Services Administration.
“GSA’s decisive action to dispose of non-core assets leverages the private sector, drives improvements for our agency customers, and best serves local communities,” the agency said in a news release linking to a list of 440 properties that included the headquarters of the FBI and the Department Justice.
Later Tuesday, however, the list was scaled back to 320 properties, with all DC-based properties removed. By Wednesday, the list of federal buildings had been removed from GSA’s website, which now says the list is “coming soon.”
The agency said in a statement Wednesday the list was removed from its website due to “an overwhelming amount of interest.” GSA said it planned to republish the list “in the near future after we evaluate this initial input and determine how we can make it easier for stakeholders to understand the nuances of the assets listed.”
However, a source with knowledge of the situation said, “There was a miscommunication issue when posting the list. So they are pulling that back.”
The source said the list mistakenly included federal buildings the administration does not want to sell. According to the source, the list should have included three categories of properties: buildings identified as required for government operation, buildings identified for disposal and buildings whose status could change at a later date and could eventually be put up for sale.
“This is another example of rushing to get things out and posted without taking time to review what is actually being shared,” the source added.
The list of 440 “non-core” properties initially posted to the GSA website also included the departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development; Federal Trade Commission; GSA’s own headquarters; and the Old Post Office – where the Trump Organization had a 60-year lease until it sold it to the Waldorf Astoria hotel in 2022. Several of the buildings listed include staff from multiple agencies, such as the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, the biggest federal government building in the Southeast.
GSA said in its Tuesday release that most of the buildings flagged consist primarily of office space and that selling them will “ensure taxpayers no longer pay for empty and underutilized federal office space.” It also claimed it could potentially save “more than $430 million in annual operating costs.”
The release said the agency has identified certain “core” assets “that are needed for critical government operations,” including courthouses and facilities key to national defense and law enforcement, which “will be retained for long-term needs.” However, multiple courthouses, including the US Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, were on the list.
Though many of the properties initially listed are in the Washington, DC, metro area, the list included buildings across the country, from Alaska to Florida.
