GSA Selects Architect for $70M D.C. Project

GSA # 9896

October 17, 2001
Contact: Michael McGill (202) 205-5821
michael.mcgill@gsa.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced today that Boggs & Partners Architects with GHT Ltd. Consulting Engineers was selected from among four Architect/Engineer (A/E) design firms to design the $70 million modernization of Federal Office Building 8 (FOB 8).

FOB 8 is located at 2nd and C Sts., SW, with views of the U.S. Capitol. Built in 1961, it was originally designed to house laboratories for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA's labs are being relocated from the building to College Park, Md. FOB 8 contains approximately 545,500 gross square feet. GSA is seeking to redevelop the property as class A office space. Completion of the modernization is scheduled for 2004, with an estimated construction cost between $68 million and $70 million.

In making its selection, GSA used a two-stage Design Excellence procurement process. In the first stage,22 design firms submitted examples of their work and identified a lead designer with his/her portfolio, along with recently completed work by the firm. From those submissions, an A/E selection panel identified four firms to move onto the stage-two interview phase.

"The National Capital Region is pleased to move forward with the renovation of FOB 8," said Anthony E. Costa, Assistant Regional Administrator for the Public Buildings Service. "This will enable GSA to provide first class Federal office space in close proximity to our other Federal tenants in Southwest Washington. Keeping and renovating the site represents the most cost-effective alternative for the American taxpayer. It is also an interesting challenge to remake a �60s era building into an attractive neighbor in this prominent location."