Brian Bacon with Cassidy Turley, who represented the propertyowner in the transaction, tells GlobeSt.com that the GSA hadplanned on moving the aviation group out to anchor a new650,000-square-foot building in the East Village area here.However, he says the new building still hasn't made it through GSAapprovals, so the decision was made to keep the FAA in its currentbuilding.

The agency had leased the building since the facility wasdesigned specifically for it 10 years ago, Bacon says. "It wouldhave much more costly for the FAA to get a new building that hasall the amenities we have for it at the current location, to addthose would boost the lease cost to about $30 to $40 per squarefoot," he says. He refused to comment on the new lease rate, butsays the average lease rate in the central business district isabout $17.42 per square foot, full service. "There were a fewconcessions made to keep them in the building," he says, includingrenovations and security additions.

The new GSA plan, Bacon says, is a request for a 450,000 squarefoot building without the FAA. While the new building could housecurrent GSA employees who are spread out throughout the city, it'snot currently clear if the new facility would still go in the EastVillage area.