The General Services Administration’s construction budget for fiscal year 2015 passed by the House this month includes cuts in both new construction and renovation/repairs compared to 2014. The agency would have about $420 million, or 17% less, for new projects and will have $965 million, or 3.5% less, for renovation and repair projects, according to the House bill.
The House bill would fund projects at the Calexico and San Ysidro land ports of entry in California, and the Alexandria Bay land port of entry in New York. The legislation contains no funding in 2015 for the continued construction of the new Department of Homeland Security’s consolidated headquarters on the campus of the former St. Elizabeth’s hospital in southeast Washington, D.C. President Obama’s proposed budget increases funding for that project.
A new Coast Guard headquarters, the first phase of the St. Elizabeth’s project, was completed and occupied by the Coast Guard last year. But years of budget cuts and delays have caused a dramatic drop in Congressional support for the multi-billion dollar project that would bring more than 14,000 employees to the campus.
Related Stories
| Jul 5, 2012
Continued tax breaks necessary for widespread adoption of net zero buildings
Tax breaks passed by the U.S. government to encourage construction of green buildings are set to expire in 2012 and 2013.
| Jun 28, 2012
Six buildings now recognized under Living Building Challenge
The Living Building Challenge (LBC), a green ratings system for design and construction that judges a building based on its actual performance, not just its projected performance at the design stage, has recognized six buildings to date.
| Jun 28, 2012
Label for building products will have ‘global warming number’
The director of the 2030 Challenge for Products says that the organization is aiming to place a label on building products that will list what’s in it, and how much embodied carbon each product represents.
| Jun 28, 2012
Top building material executive urges building resilience in sustainability standards
A meeting of 1,000 business executives at the recent Rio+20 environmental conference featured a passionate plea to include building resilience in efforts to boost sustainability.
| Jun 28, 2012
Following spate of skyscraper balcony glass panel breakages, Ontario adopts code change
Ontario's housing minister announced new building code rules to help prevent glass panels from breaking off high-rise balconies during hot weather.
| Jun 28, 2012
Factory worker deaths in Italy raise questions on building codes after earthquakes
Italian officials are questioning seismic building standards and inspection procedures in the aftermath of two damaging earthquakes.
| Jun 21, 2012
Brazilian engineering/construction firm Odebrecht sues Florida over ban on companies doing business in Cuba
Odebrecht Construction Inc., a Brazilian engineering and construction company, is suing the State of Florida over a new law that bans governments from hiring companies with business ties to Cuba.
| Jun 21, 2012
String of shattered glass balcony panels prompts call for code reform in Ontario
Since last summer, glass balconies have shattered at 13 different buildings in Toronto.