Will They Won't They? US Government Hits Pause On Sale Of Federal Offices As Opponents Call Firings 'An Assault On The Rule Of Law'

Not so fast. The mass sale of US federal buildings appears to have stalled for the time being. The Wall Street Journal reported that 443 buildings, representing nearly 80 million square feet, listed for sale have been suddenly removed from the General Services Administration website. 

Hours after releasing its initial list on March 4, the GSA trimmed that number to 330. The following day, all listed properties were removed from the website. A statement appeared in its place, saying the GSA was “identifying buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations, or non-core properties, for disposal. Selling ensures that taxpayer dollars are no longer spent on vacant or underutilized federal spaces. Disposing of these assets helps eliminate costly maintenance and allows us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that support agency missions.”

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The proposed building sales coincided with the mass firings of federal workers, which Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, called "an assault on the rule of law." Molvar was one of the plaintiffs in a case brought before federal judge William Alsup in San Francisco, who ordered President Donald Trump's administration to rehire thousands of fired workers. 

FBI Headquarters And Those Named After Civil Rights Leaders Amongst Those Threatened

The initial list of properties for sale included the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which serves as the FBI headquarters, the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, the Old Post Office building, the location of Trump’s former hotel, and the American Red Cross headquarters. The headquarters of numerous agencies, including the Departments of Labor and Housing and Urban Development, were also on the list.

Buildings named after civil rights icons, such as Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta and Rosa Parks in Detroit, were also included. The Montgomery, Alabama, bus station that was pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement and now serves as the Freedom Rides Museum was also among the threatened buildings. News of the sale and retreat caused widespread criticism and confusion.

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Reckless And Costly For Taxpayers

“How can an agency know how much space they require when they don’t know how many employees they will have?" Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) asked in a congressional hearing. “These actions are reckless and potentially very costly for taxpayers.”

The GSA said in a statement to NPR: “Since publishing the initial list on March 4, 2025, we have received an overwhelming amount of interest. We anticipate the list will be republished in the near future after we evaluate this initial input and determine how we can make it easier for stakeholders to understand the nuances of the assets listed.” 

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Accelerated Timeline And Expanded Buildings List

Although the GSA was in the process of disposing of many federal buildings in need of an upgrade before President Trump came to power, the new administration’s accelerated timeline and expanded list has caused alarm in commercial real estate circles, particularly in DC where more than 150 buildings were slated for sale. 

Michelle Bercovici, an employment attorney who has been petitioning a government oversight agency to hire back thousands of federal workers, told NPR:

“It’s just mind-boggling.This is not a case where you have Congress saying, ‘Hey, agency, we are slashing your budget by 50% because you don’t need these personnel, you’re not doing these functions,'” Bercovici said. “I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason, and that’s really unusual. Agencies have statutory functions they have to carry out, and agencies also do have reporting obligations to Congress.”

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