Paul Bauer Quoted in The Boston Globe About Potential Sale or Redevelopment of Federal Buildings

March 5, 2025

On March 4, the General Services Administration, a federal agency that manages government properties, announced that it has identified more than 400 federally owned buildings and facilities across the U.S. that are considered “non-core” to government operations. This move opens the door for these properties to be sold or redeveloped as part of the federal government’s cost-cutting initiatives.

Among the properties listed are nine in Massachusetts, including the John F. Kennedy and Tip O’Neill Federal buildings in Boston, the newly built Volpe Transportation Systems Center in Kendall Square, the Social Security Administration office in Fall River, and the Internal Revenue Service Center in Andover, among others. The GSA will evaluate each property based on factors such as current use, occupancy, relocation costs, and local market conditions to determine the best course of action, which could include sale-leaseback arrangements, ground leases, or other public-private partnerships.

Paul Bauer spoke with The Boston Globe about the GSA’s plans.

Paul stated that while sale-leaseback deals are common for privately owned real estate, the federal government is not typically in the business of selling its property. “You could argue that this is sort of a privatization tool.”

Continue reading “Trump administration lists federal buildings in Boston and Cambridge as possible targets for sale” on The Boston Globe website (subscription required).