GSA Taps Clark Construction for $524M CISA Headquarters

Washington, D.C.’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is one step closer to a new, green headquarters at Southeast D.C.’s St. Elizabeths West Campus.

The General Services Administration (GSA) approved a $524 million contract for Clark Construction to build CISA’s new 630,000-square-foot, 10-story headquarters, according to a GSA statement. Upon completion, the long-awaited project will move the government agency from Arlington, Va., to D.C’s 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

The project has been out for bid for approximately a year and a half, the Washington Business Journal reported. As GSA’s largest single Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) project investment to date, the building will prioritize sustainability throughout the construction phase. 

The contract includes more than $115.8 million funded through the IRA, which focuses largely on clean energy. Of that money, Clark Construction will allocate roughly $80 million toward the purchase of low-embodied carbon materials and $35 million to meet select green building standards, per GSA’s statement. 

Through this sustainable design, the project is expected to meet the standards for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification. GSA also anticipates that the new CISA headquarters will have an energy use intensity that’s 72 percent lower than typical office buildings. These efforts coincide with President Joe Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which aims for federal buildings to achieve net-zero emissions benchmarks by 2045. 

“The construction of this headquarters underscores the government’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s cyber landscape while also maintaining the rich history of the St. Elizabeths Campus and revitalizing the surrounding community,” Elliot Doomes, GSA’s Public Buildings Service commissioner, said in a statement. “Our work here also demonstrates how we can incorporate sustainable practices and create good jobs in projects of all types.”

Under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CISA has been in operation for roughly six years. The award for its new headquarters not only promotes sustainable building, but also coincides with government efforts to build a more united, efficient and effective DHS, according to the statement. 

“Bringing the extraordinary Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to the Department of Homeland Security’s St. Elizabeths Campus will better facilitate collaboration across our components and offices, and inspire cohesive work to ensure our nation’s infrastructure is secure and resilient,” Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement.

Clark Construction will begin on the new headquarters come fall. It’s unclear when construction will end. A spokesperson from CISA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Anna Staropoli can be reached at astaropoli@commercialobserver.com.