Brown Speaks Out Against Sale of Celebrezze Federal Building in DOGE Subcommittee Hearing

Washington, DC – On Tuesday April 8, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) criticized the Trump Administration plan to sell the Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland, Ohio. Brown’s remarks took place during the Committee on Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) hearing on federal real estate Tuesday in Washington. 

The hearing featured the following witnesses: David Marroni – Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure – Government Accountability Office, John Hart – Chief Executive Officer – Open the Books, and Ron Kendall, Executive Chairman Emeritus – National Federal Development Association. 

VIDEO: WATCH BROWN’S HEARING REMARKS HERE

At the hearing, Congresswoman Brown stated:

Let me be clear: this isn’t just the sale of a building. It’s a reckless decision that could destabilize essential services for my constituents, displace some 4,000 federal employees, and deal a blow to the local economy.

The Celebrezze building houses the IRS, the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, DHS, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These are the people ensuring tax season runs smoothly, our

veterans get their benefits, and military payroll is processed accordingly.

Selling this building— especially on an expedited 3-year timeline compared to the usual 10 years this takes— is shortsighted and misguided. 

And what it really represents is another example of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s chaotic and careless approach to cost-cutting. In fact, cost-cutting is too generous – what they are really doing is looting the federal government and stripping it for parts.

This sale could result in reduced public access to services, lower job security for thousands of workers, and a ripple effect through Cleveland’s downtown economy. Local businesses, public transit, and city revenues all depend on the federal footprint the Celebrezze Building provides.

The Administration promises to relocate workers to other spaces in Cleveland. That’s great – but how can their word be trusted? They are selling a building while forcing workers to return to the office. They claim they will look for new leased space as they

simultaneously cancel leases nationwide. And they are firing federal workers that provide my constituents and the American people with critical programs and services.

So what assurances do we have that they’ll actually maintain staffing levels and secure new space for the agencies affected?

Or is this just another slash-and-burn strategy — a thinly veiled attack on the federal workforce under the guise of reform?

The Celebrezze Building is an anchor for downtown Cleveland. Removing this presence will not only leave a void in the heart of Cleveland, it will undermine the progress we’ve made in revitalizing the city.

There is a responsible way to reduce or consolidate the federal government’s real estate portfolio. This hasty decision is not it.

In March, Congresswoman Brown announced that the Trump Administration planned to sell the Celebrezze Building and slammed the decision. Congresswoman Brown also wrote to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), urging the GSA to immediately reconsider the sale. 

In her letter, Brown urged the GSA to await a final recommendation from the Public Buildings Review Board, which was simultaneously analyzing the property for disposition. The Celebrezze Federal Building houses more than 4,000 federal employees, including those working for the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Defense and Accounting Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies. 

Brown is not a member of the DOGE Subcommittee but requested permission to participate given the importance of the issue in Northeast Ohio. 

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