Five-Year Plan Details Property Management Strategy for More Than 20 Million Square Feet of Property
Contact: Sean Madigan, (202) 615-2029 (cell); Feras Sleiman, (202) 251-8829 (cell)
(Washington, DC) – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty today announced the District’s Office of Property Management (OPM) has completed the city’s first-ever District of Columbia Facilities Plan, a comprehensive strategy for managing more than 18 million square feet of owned space and 3.7 million square feet of leased space. The plan also provides details on a number of District initiatives including reducing the amount of space it rents from the private sector, building new critical public safety and government operations centers, redeveloping former school sites and consolidating warehouse operations.
“As the District of Columbia government, we have one of the largest property portfolios in the city,” Mayor Fenty said. “It is our job to be professional managers of these assets to make sure we utilize them in the most efficient, effective and transparent manner possible.”
During the next three years, the District is planning to reduce the amount of office space it rents from the private sector by 500,000 square feet, or about 13 percent of its total leased space portfolio, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. In addition to transitioning from leased to owned space, the District will also work to modernize existing facilities, develop a new government center, improve preventative maintenance and introduce new “green” and sustainable building practices to properties District-wide.
The new facilities plan also includes description and schedules for specific projects, such as the $220 million Consolidated Forensic Laboratory, the new headquarters for the Department of Employment Services and the $20 million Metropolitan Police Department Property and Evidence Warehouse. Not only are these capital projects intended to provide first-class facilities for government operations and spur new investment in neighborhoods throughout the District – these projects will produce hundreds of new construction jobs for city residents.
“This is a major milestone for the District and OPM.” said Robin-Eve Jasper, Director of OPM. “OPM is proud to share our plan for using District space and facilities.”
The full plan is available on the Office of Property Management’s website at opm.dc.gov under Publications.
The District also released today its Workplace Design Guidelines, which standardizes the materials and furnishings that can be used in District office buildings. The new guidelines will create a recognizable “brand” across city agencies. Created by OPM and HOK Architects, the guidelines are already being utilized in the District’s 500,000 square foot Waterfront Station build-out and former school site reuse. The new guidelines will provide considerable cost savings because the District will be able to maximize efficiencies through bulk purchases and standardized design templates.