An Office of Management and Budget proposal to sell thousands of surplus federal buildings is garnering support on Capitol Hill and among industry groups. OMB says selling the properties could save the government $15 billion. Some of that amount would come from selling the excess properties. The plan could give a lift to the construction industry's buildings sector. As much 40% of the proceeds from the property sales would be plowed back into retrofitting other federal buildings to make them more energy efficient, OMB officials say.
The plan, sketched out in the Obama administration's fiscal 2012 budget, calls for a new Civilian Property Realignment Board, modeled after the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission, or BRAC.