GSA celebrates major climate investments in Michigan as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

August 06, 2024

Announces $34.1 million award for infrastructure repairs for the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit

DETROIT – Today, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan visited the IBEW-NECA Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center in Warren, MI to celebrate major climate investments across Michigan as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. Through the Inflation Reduction Act [PDF], GSA is investing more than $53 million in Michigan, including a $34.1 million award announced today for sustainable improvements at the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building. 

“Thanks to once-in-a-generation investments in our nation’s infrastructure, we’re using over $3.4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act to get a triple win: creating more American jobs, reducing energy consumption which saves taxpayer dollars, and ensuring healthier communities,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We’re continuing that progress by investing over $34 million into the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building to help make this building safer, more resilient, and better equipped to support the people it serves.”

The project will restore the parking structure’s long-term integrity and durability using low embodied carbon construction materials, install 22 electric vehicle charging stations, and improve electrical and lighting systems. The contract for design-build services was awarded to Pullman SST, Inc. and construction is planned to start in 2025. The project plans to use steel meeting GSA’s most-stringent top 20% limit (and some additional steel meeting GSA’s Top 40% global warming potential (GWP) limit), along with concrete meeting GSA’s top 40% GWP limit. Material selections alone are estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of at least 17 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The McNamara building is also slated for a $7 million IRA investment to repair the building’s facade. 

This award furthers 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 have lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production, use and disposal. These investments aim to expand America’s industrial capacity for manufacturing goods and materials of the future, tackle the climate crisis, and create good-paying jobs for workers in the region.

“These investments in Michigan’s federal buildings and ports of entry are a win-win for our state - building our infrastructure and helping to address the climate crisis,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). “They will also improve federal services provided to Michigan residents for years to come.”  

“I am grateful for President Biden for delivering this critical federal funding to the heart of my district,” said Representative Shri Thanedar (MI-13). “This $34 million contract will create high-paying jobs in Michigan’s 13th district and will allow for needed infrastructure improvements to the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit. I look forward to continuing to work with President Biden to deliver more improvements to communities all across Michigan’s 13th district.”

Other GSA facilities slated to receive funding through the Inflation Reduction Act include the Ambassador Bridge and Sault Ste. Marie land ports of entry, the Rosa Parks Federal Building, the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse, and the Battle Creek Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center.

These projects are part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.4 billion for GSA to build, modernize, and maintain more sustainable and cost-efficient high-performance facilities across America. GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act projects will implement new technologies and accelerate the Administration’s efforts in achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045. Through these investments, GSA estimates it could reduce carbon emissions by 2.3 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions, which is the same amount that 500,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles produce each year.

Download b-roll of the event and additional b-roll.

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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 about $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.