GSA responds to criticism about pace of stimulus work - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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billion it received undet federal stimulus legislation for new constructioh and modernization offederal buildings. Shortly before his permanent replacemengt as commissioner of the was expected to be Anthony Costa told a congressiona l subcommittee July 8 the agency hadbeen “pretty quick” in obligating fundsa and would be speeding things up obligating $1 billion by the end of July, $2 billion by the end of the year and $4 billion by the end of March 2010. About $1.2 billion of the $5.5 billion will be directed toward buildingsin D.C.
“This pace of obligation is beyondanything we’ve done before,” Costa “I know it mighyt seem slow, but I can assure you it’s well beyond anything we’ve done in the past.” He appearedx before the subcommittee, chaired by Del. Eleanodr Holmes Norton, D-D.C., to request $496 million in fiscal 2010 funds for repaira and alterations to buildingsand $658 million for construction and acquisitio of facilities. The requests include $138 millio n for consolidation of the in White Oak and additional fundxs for environmental remediation at TheYards mixed-user project by in Southeast D.C.
Norton has called for the agench to more aggressively secure real estater inthe recession, saying that “recenr trends have tipped so that the government now leasexs more than it owns,” and that trend had resulted in the need for stimulus money. Costa said the GSA hoped to take advantage of a purchase option on a FogggyBottom property, Columbia Plaza, at 2401 E St. NW, wherew the GSA leases the space for theStates Department. The lease includes an optioh to purchase the spacefor $100 and the property was appraised in 2006 for $190 he said.
Norton said Congreses also plans inquiries into security measuresx after the Government Accountability Office said partws of bombs were smuggled into federal buildingswduring tests. Security decisions needed to be taken out ofthe hands, she said.