US government to get rid of James V. Hansen Federal Building; agencies inside to be moved

OGDEN — The U.S. government plans to get rid of a landmark in downtown Ogden, the James V. Hansen Federal Building, and relocate the 10 agencies that operate inside the six-story structure.

The future of the building, which houses the IRS, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal offices, has been a focus of debate within the U.S. General Services Administration since 2022. On Wednesday, the agency, which manages U.S. government buildings, announced it planned to start "the disposition process" of the Ogden building and seven other U.S.-owned structures around the country.

"It would cost $47.6 million to address the building's seismic deficiencies and facade issues and an analysis determined it was more feasible to dispose of the building and move all tenants into leases," the General Services Administration said in a press release. The building, completed in 1965, sits at 324 25th Street, a high-profile section of Ogden's city center, north of the Ogden Amphitheater and on the eastern periphery of the Historic 25th Street retail and dining zone.

The transfer of the building to new owners is expected in 2028, said Richard Stebbins, a General Services Administration public affairs officer. The 10 agencies operating inside will all remain in the Ogden market, he said, and administration officials are working with representatives from the offices to find new homes. Prior to Wednesday's announcement, General Services Administration officials had twice sought funding from Congress to cover the cost of upgrading the 119,000-square-foot building, both times to no avail.

"The disposal decision took into account the building's deficiencies, the fact that it is in a very high seismic risk zone and the need for federal space in this market," the administration said. Possible options to get rid of the building include "no-cost conveyances for certain public benefits, negotiated sale to public entities or an online auction. We are just in the announcement phase at this point with the next steps to be determined at a later date."

Separately, the U.S. government is also selling the U.S. Forest Service building at 507 25th Street in Ogden. The city of Ogden has been considering the acquisition of the art deco structure.

The IRS, in particular, has a large presence in Ogden, in the Hansen building and at numerous other locations in the city. It is the largest employer in Weber County, with between 7,000 and 10,000 employees, according to the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

'Productive reuse'

In vacating the Hansen building and getting rid of it, General Services Administration reps will work with local officials.

"These conversations will inform GSA's process and help ensure these properties are placed back into productive reuse," said the agency. Housing, "where feasible," could be one possible reuse of the structures that were the focus of Wednesday's announcement.

The other federal buildings the agency plans to get rid of, per Wednesday's announcement, are in Vermont, Florida, Indiana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Washington, D.C. "GSA is committed to right-sizing and optimizing the federal buildings portfolio in ways that benefit local communities while saving taxpayer dollars," administrator Robin Carnahan said in a statement.

Getting rid of the eight properties will result in $475 million "in estimated cost avoidance" over 10 years. Taken together with disposition projects announced last year and earlier this year, the plans will forestall estimated expenditures that could total $1.8 billion over 10 years, the GSA said. The GSA has gotten rid of more than 1,000 properties since 2015.

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