U.S. General Services Administration
GSA awards construction contract for Robert A. Roe Federal Building
Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a $5.8 million contract award to Sheela Inc., a New Jersey-based company, for renovations and repairs to the Robert A. Roe Federal Building in Paterson, NJ. With this Inflation Reduction Act-funded award, GSA will replace all existing exterior windows with new architectural grade aluminum‐framed, dual‐pane fixed windows composed of low-embodied carbon glazing, as part of President Biden’s investing in America agenda.
By performing these repairs GSA will improve the energy efficiency of the facility, meet federal sustainability goals and enhance the overall aesthetics of the building. This project will use approximately 15 tons of American-made Vitro Architectural Glass. The glass uses locally-sourced raw materials like silica sand, and will save energy and improve occupant comfort while also meeting GSA’s most stringent low-embodied carbon glass requirements. Over 1,000 kilograms of manufacturing-related carbon dioxide equivalent will be avoided thanks to the selection of this lower-carbon, high-performance architectural glass.
“GSA is proud to be on the cutting edge of the federal government’s mission towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future for our nation,” said Francis Thomas, Regional Administrator for the Northeast and Caribbean Region.
“This federal investment into the Robert A. Roe Federal Building in Paterson, New Jersey is a win for New Jersey, our environment, and our economy,” said Sen. Corey Booker. “Not only will these upgrades help us to make this valuable federal asset more resilient and energy efficient, and create local jobs. This project is an example of the incredible returns our state and nation earn from each dollar invested thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.”
This project is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean Initiative, under which the federal government is, for the first time, prioritizing the purchase of asphalt, concrete, glass, and steel that entail lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. These investments aim to expand America’s industrial capacity for manufacturing goods and materials of the future, address the climate crisis, and create good-paying jobs for workers in the region.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.4 billion for GSA to build, modernize, and maintain more sustainable and cost-efficient high-performance facilities. This funding includes $2.15 billion specifically for low embodied carbon construction materials. GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act projects will implement new technologies and accelerate GSA’s efforts toward achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045. Through these investments, GSA estimates a total greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 2.3 million metric tons, the same amount that 500,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles produce each year.
This announcement is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, focused on growing the American economy from the bottom up and the middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
To learn more about GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act program, please visit GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act web page.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing over $100 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.