Riddle: “What goes up and never comes down?” Answer: “Federal spending” Federal spending – especially if you measure it in constant dollars – hasn’t ALWAYS increased. But, let’s face it, it mostly has. As Washingtonians, we’ve grown comfortable in the warm blanket the federal government provides. Year after year demand, fueled through federal direct spending […]
The Las Vegas VA Medical Center opened its doors in August of this year. (photo: Marc Sanchez) As we alluded to in a yesterday’s post, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is in the midst of an ambitious program to build new veterans hospitals, clinics and outpatient centers throughout the nation. This past August, it […]
The Bipartisan Budget Act provides some modest relief to sequester-driven discretionary spending cuts. The red line illustrates the discretionary spending levels allowed under the sequester provisions. The green area shows the discretionary spending increases provided under the Ryan-Murray agreement. (Graph: House Budget Committee) “Clearly this is not a Grand Bargain but it was never meant […]
This graphic is interactive, click here. (for Internet Explorer users, version 9 or above is required) Investors often ask us a variety of common questions about the market for GSA leases. They ask: “How many large leases are there?” “How many have long terms?” “If I’m investing outside of Washington, DC, what’s my opportunity?” […]
Rep. Mica presiding over the July 26th mark-up session. This July is on pace to be not only the hottest month in U.S. history but also the hottest month in the ever-simmering feud between GSA and the House committee that oversees that agency. Perhaps it is the withering heat that sparked an unprecedented event that […]
Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has been on the hot seat lately, in congressional hearings over the troubled Healthcare.gov website. But overseeing much of the Affordable Care Act implementation is…
Next Tuesday, March 6, 2012, Colliers International will be hosting an informative webinar, “U.S. Commercial Real Estate: A Look Over the Horizon.” This in-depth panel discussion will feature four Colliers International market experts discussing the future of commercial real estate. If you are reading this post then you are invited to participate in this event. Simply scroll to […]
On February 19, President Donald J. Trump signed an order directing the Pentagon to develop plans to establish a U.S. Space Force, with its mandate to “marshal its space resources to deter and counter threats in space.” The president’s order follows his announcement, in June 2018, that he would order the creation of a “separate […]
Photovoltaic panels on high performance buildings can significantly cut energy costs and carbon emissions. But distributed, intermittent renewable energy sources are a challenge to integrate with the aging U.S. electrical grid. The vital goal of a smarter, more resilient national energy system moved closer on September 11, with the dedication of the Energy Systems Integration […]
Any observer of the federal leasing market will agree that the pace of new leasing has slowed considerably. This is to say that there are few requirements for new space or expansions of existing leases. Landlords hoping to lease space to the federal government must focus instead on what it will take to poach tenants […]
Election 2012 is, mercifully, behind us. President Obama’s term is renewed, albeit by a fairly narrow majority of the popular vote. Most Representatives and Senators are also back for another term and though some seats changed the overall result is that the 113th Congress will look almost exactly like the much-reviled 112th. Can anything be […]
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) Have we seen the last of BRAC? Although the Defense Department has used the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process five times within the past 15 years, and although President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta have proposed sixth and seventh rounds of BRAC commissions (in 2013 and 2015)—and have said that […]
From left to right: Constitution Center, the Old Post Office, 601 New Jersey and 1800 M Street (renovation rendering) GSA now has a plan to lease all of the remaining 358,000 square feet of space at Constitution Center and distribute it among the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National […]
With today’s post we take a break from our usual review of government real estate to instead focus on a unique social giving campaign: Everyone Gives. This event—the most inclusive initiative of its kind—enables charities, companies and public figures to collaboratively mobilize their networks, raising awareness of a global charitable effort, demonstrating the collective power we all […]