Brown Demands GSA Justify Celebrezze Sale; Cites Data Gaps and Procedural Concerns

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) has written a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) demanding data and transparency regarding the Trump Administration’s proposed “accelerated disposition” of the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in downtown Cleveland. 

In a May letter to Congresswoman Brown, GSA stated they had conducted an analysis showing a projected cost advantage of $149 million dollars for disposing the building and then leasing new space for the building’s existing federal agency tenants. 

In response, Brown is demanding that GSA substantiate this figure, requesting the full net present value (NPV) analysis, the appraisal of the building, and all other supporting documentation used to justify the decision. She also requested records of stakeholder engagement, including documentation of how GSA accounted in its decision making for unanimous local opposition to the disposal of Celebrezze.

In the letter, Brown also raises serious concerns that GSA’s plan not only risks disrupting critical federal services and harming Cleveland’s downtown economy, but it also skips key procedural steps meant to ensure sound decision making. For example, the bipartisan USE IT Act requires agencies to collect and publicly report data on building utilization—data that has not yet been gathered or assessed. Moreover, the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB), is currently conducting an independent review of the Celebrezze Building. Unlike GSA, the PBRB is required by law to recommend dispositions only when they will provide a positive return on investment, and to publish its criteria and findings. 

“The Trump Administration’s plan to sell the Celebrezze building is a bad deal for Cleveland—bad for constituent services, bad for our local economy, and bad for federal workers. On top of that, I have serious concerns this plan will end up costing taxpayers, especially since Trump is demanding the sale on a shortened three-year timeline.

“The Administration claims their data shows that selling the building and leasing new space will save money. But without transparency, how can we trust that an outdated appraisal or faulty utilization data isn’t skewing their analysis? If their numbers are truly solid, they should have no problem releasing them. Clevelanders and federal taxpayers deserve nothing less than complete transparency and adherence to federal processes that protect their interests,” said Congresswoman Brown. 

The letter is available here and copied below:

July 11, 2025

Mr. Stephen Ehikian

Acting Administrator

General Services Administration

1800 F Street Northwest

Washington, D.C. 20405

Dear Acting Administrator Ehikian,

Thank you for your May 21, 2025, response regarding the intended “accelerated disposition” of the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland, Ohio.

While I appreciate the General Services Administration’s (GSA) stated commitment to fiscal responsibility and meeting the mission needs of customer agencies, I remain deeply concerned that the decision to dispose of this building on an accelerated timeline will not only erode the public’s ability to access government services but also negatively impact the economic well-being of Ohio’s 11th Congressional District.

As the Member of Congress representing Ohio’s 11th District, I therefore write to request additional information and clarity regarding the rationale, process, and implications of this decision. Rushing to dispose of the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in downtown Cleveland without a full and transparent accounting of federal cost savings, local economic impact, and agency space needs risks not just poor governance but also lasting damage to the very communities the federal government is meant to serve.

I respectfully request the following documents and information:

1. A copy of the comprehensive 30-year net present value (NPV) analysis comparing the cost of continued ownership of the property with the full financial implications of disposition, including the relocation of existing tenants and any anticipated leaseback arrangements;
2. A copy of the appraisal of the property used in your analysis, including the methodology used, date of valuation, and whether the appraisal considered any public benefit or historical use value;
3. A complete accounting of current tenants in the property and plans for their relocation;
4. All documents and communications with agency heads and personnel regarding the property’s disposition and proposed tenant relocation;
5. All documents and communications with potential buyers;
6. All documents and communications concerning any known relationships between potential buyers and GSA personnel or other federal employees, including special government employees; and
7. A full and complete list, including descriptions, of the steps GSA is taking to comply with relevant federal laws and regulations concerning federal property disposition, including:
   1. Requirements that real property be disposed of in the most economical manner consistent with the best interests of the government;
   2. Requirements that real property be screened for possible transfer to other federal agencies;
   3. Requirements for screening properties for public benefit conveyance, such as homelessness assistance or other public uses;
   4. Requirements that any property not conveyed for public or federal benefit be sold at fair market value.

In your response, you also noted, GSA has engaged with local officials, customer agencies, and congressional stakeholders to “inform the disposition approach and ensure alignment with the broader mission and community consideration.”

Accordingly, I request:

8. A full and complete list of GSA’s engagements regarding the Celebrezze Building with stakeholders, including:
   1. The individuals or entities with whom your agency met;
   2. The specific community concerns raised; and
   3. The changes made or actions taken in consideration of those concerns.

Additionally, I want to highlight a serious procedural flaw: the Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies (USE IT) Act requires agencies to measure building utilization and develop plans to reduce underused space. However, those measurements are not yet complete. The Act mandates that agencies begin collecting utilization data by July 3, 2025, with public reporting to follow in January 2026. Proceeding with accelerated disposition before this mandated data is available undermines the very purpose of this law and risks prematurely relinquishing space essential for agencies to fulfill their missions.

Finally, as detailed in my March 26, 2025, letter, I understand the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) is conducting a comprehensive review of the Celebrezze building, with a third and final round of recommendations due in 2026. Established under the bipartisan Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act (FASTA), PBRB is the only entity in federal law specifically tasked with identifying federal properties for disposal based on rigorous analysis and direct stakeholder engagement.

Unlike GSA, PBRB conducts months-long evaluations that weigh taxpayer return, agency needs, and local impact. Alongside its recommendations, PBRB publishes its criteria, inclusive of taxpayer return on investment, stakeholder feedback, cost reductions potential, and a detailed economic impact analysis. To proceed with disposition before PBRB completes its work would be premature and undermine the very process Congress established to ensure that federal asset reductions are both fiscally sound and beneficial to the public.

I look forward to your responses to the above requests and to working collaboratively to ensure that any final decisions are informed by a complete and transparent assessment of the facts.

Thank you for your continued consideration of this urgent matter. I look forward to your

response.

Sincerely,

Shontel M. Brown

Member of Congress

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