Half of Pennsylvania’s federal buildings are set to be sold under Trump admin plan

The Trump Administration was seeking to sell 320 federal buildings across the US — including half of the nearly two dozen properties owned in Pennsylvania. 

In counties throughout the state, from Erie to Philadelphia, at least 10 federal facilities were placed on the General Services Administration’s (GSA) “non-core property list,” out of the 22 federal buildings in PA, signaling plans to sell the buildings. Notable cuts include several Social Security Administration buildings, a Veterans Administration Center in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s William S. Moorhead skyscraper.

Their fate now hangs in the balance, however, after the federal government quietly took the list offline one day after it was published. 

“To be clear, just because an asset is on the list doesn’t mean it’s immediately for sale,” GSA wrote in a statement sent to Technical.ly after publication. “However, we will consider compelling offers (in accordance with applicable laws and regulations) and do what’s best for the needs of the federal government and taxpayer.”

Hundreds of fed buildings across the US could soon be for sale

In total, across all sales, the federal government had hoped to save more than $430 million in annual operating costs by disposing of the buildings, when it still planned on getting rid of closer to 440 of them, according to a press release yesterday from the GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) division. 

“PBS will be engaging in market research and customer agency feedback regarding the potential disposition strategies for non-core assets,” the statement said, “and will consider current use, occupancy, cost of agency relocation and local market conditions when assessing disposition.

The non-core asset list is still under continuous review, the agency said, and interested parties will soon be able to submit their “creative solutions” — such as sale-lease backs, ground leases and public-private partnership — on ways to use the buildings cost-effectively soon. 

Beyond the commonwealth, notable buildings on the list include headquarters for the GSA, the FBI, the departments of energy, labor, justice, veterans affairs and more. 

Fed workers can still find active leases near them if faced with RTO

The federal government both owns buildings and leases office space throughout the country for its workforce. The non-core assets refer to buildings that the GSA owns, and as of December 2024, it still had 225 lease agreements across PA.

DOGE is actively trying to change that. Alongside recent news of SEC buildings closing in Philly and other locations, the agency hosts a “Wall of Receipts” that tracks its government spending cuts, including leases. As of March 4, it has tracked 748 lease terminations, including 24 in Pennsylvania. 

There are two properties on the non-core asset list —  “MAINTENANCE BLDG.” in Wilkes Barre and “FEDERAL BUILDING 05” in Philly — that do not have a clear connection to the GSA’s list of federal buildings in PA. The agency did not respond to a request for clarification. 

GSA's Pennsylvania field office managers declined to comment.