March 31, 2009

Alaska Federal Buildings Get $11 Million from Economic Recovery

Money for improvements designed to increase energy efficiency

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced details today for $5.5 billion in spending on public building projects from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The package contains just over $11 million for four federal building upgrades in Alaska.

The ARRA money is specifically designated to improve building systems, making the buildings "greener" and more energy efficient.

The projects in Alaska include:

· Juneau - Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building $7.87 million

· Anchorage - Federal Building, U.S. Courthouse $2.17 million

· Anchorage - Federal Building (4th Avenue, downtown) $663,000

· Fairbanks - Federal Building $301,000

"The money for the federal buildings will not only significantly improve the buildings, it will create jobs and make the buildings more efficient and therefore cheaper to run in the future," Sen. Mark Begich said. "As we see the economic recovery dollars coming to the states, these are the types of investments that will pay off for years to come."

According to the GSA, the ARRA directs $750 million to renovate and construct federal buildings and courthouses; $300 million to renovate and construct land ports of entry; and $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings to high-performance green buildings.

The types of projects the money can be used for include improving roofs, heating systems, water conservation projects, lighting systems and occupancy sensors. The goal is to reduce the backlog of repairs and increase the value of federal assets.

For more information, go to www.recovery.gov and click on the link to the GSA.

From a Mark Begich press release