WASHINGTON, DC—The General Services Administration is looking to have Congress approve a funding request of $7 million to finance a modest portion of the second phase of its headquarters renovation at 1800 F St. NW here.

The $161-million first phase of the project was funded by the federal stimulus program known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. While committees in the Senate and House voted in July 2012 and February 2013 respectively to authorize the agency to move ahead with a portion of the second phase, the agency maintains that Congress has never officially appropriated the money, the Washington Business Journal reports.

The GSA has now decided to seek authorization to move forward with a smaller $7-million renovation program, which will cover the cost to upgrade eight elevators in the "yet to be modernized areas of the building."

While pursuing those building modernization funds, the GSA is also engaged on another track to get the project completed. The agency has proposed trading another federal building that is part of Federal Triangle South in exchange for construction services at the GSA's headquarters and at St. Elizabeths for the Department of Homeland Security. See story in the Washington Business Journal.