WASHINGTON, DC-The Government Services Administration posted prospectuses for the space needs of several government agencies. While they must be approved by Congress, some of the requests point to an agency that is thinking beyond mere space reduction.

"They are a fascinating bunch," JLL's Art Turowski tells GlobeSt.com.

"All of them tell a tale of space reduction, but it is interesting how GSA gets to that point in several of the larger prospectus."

For example, he pointed to the prospectus for the Transportation Security Administration's headquarters. That was an agency created hurriedly in the aftermath of 9-11, meaning it grew quickly without much forethought and now exists in multiple locations, Turowski says.

"Now they are looking for a chance not just to reduce their space but to consolidate operations in way that can get work done at a headquarters level. I would have to think they will be looking for new space, somewhere in Northern Virginia."

The prospectus for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposes staying in its existing building, Turowski notes, "where there is a favorable purchase option. It is clear they will take an ownership position in the building in 10, 15 years from now."

But consolidation and reduction of space is also part of the mix, he adds.

The National Institutes of Health's prospectus is more in line with traditional requests, he continues. "It has done the growth thing and now they are being asked to take a big reduction in space."

Some of the proposals, according to the GSA website:

The current lease at 1400 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, for the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection expires on August 31, 2015. It currently occupies 140,560 square feet and the prospectus proposes reducing it by 31,560 square feet.

GSA is proposing a replacement lease of up to 86,000 square feet for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is currently located at 550 12th St., SW, in a lease that expires April 25, 2014. This location houses five HUD components. The prospectus proposes keeping four in the location and moving the fifth elsewhere.

A replacement lease of up to 839,000 square feet is being proposed for the Department of Justice at 600 E St., NW, 1425 New York Ave., NW, 601 D St., NW, and 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW in Washington, DC. The office utilization rate will go from 184 usable square feet (USF) per person to 130 USF per person, for a proposed reduction of 206,230 square feet

A replacement lease of up to 157,000 square feet of space for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, currently housed at 1025 F St., NW was proposed. This lease would replace three existing leases, which expire on January 17, May 31, and November 24, 2015. It is expected that these operations will eventually relocate to the FBI Headquarters Consolidation project, if approved by Congress. Therefore GSA will attempt to negotiate a flexible lease term.

A replacement lease of up to 105,000 square feet was proposed for the Corporation for National and Community Service, located at 1201-1225 New York Ave. NW. The current lease expires October If, 2014. The replacement lease will drop from 151 to 129 usable square feet per person and 226 to 198 USF per person, respectively.

GSA is proposing a succeeding lease of 504,000 square feet for continued occupancy of 888 First St., NE, by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and to house another, to-be-determined, federal agency. The building at 888 First Street, NE was originally constructed as a build-to-suit facility to meet the space requirements of FERC and the agency has been the primary tenant at this location since 1995.

GSA is proposing a new lease of up to 345,000 square feet for the National Institutes of Health currently located at 6701 and 6705 Rockledge Dr., Bethesda, MD, and 6100 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD--leases that expire on February 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. NIH would improve its office utilization rate from 143 USF per person to 100 USF per person, or 98,764 square feet less than the total of current occupancies.

GSA is proposing a replacement lease of up to 123,000 square feet for the Department of Homeland Security's National Protection and Programs Directorate. NPPD's Cybersecurity and Communications office is currently housed in two leases located at 1110 North Glebe Rd in Arlington, VA.

A replacement lease of up to 625,000 square feet for the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration has been proposed. It is currently housed in five separate buildings in Northern Virginia, which are set to expire between March 2014 and March 2018. TSA will improve its office utilization rate from 103 USF to 84 USF per person, for 21,859 square feet less than the total occupancy of these operations

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