The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is moving out of its longtime headquarters at the South Building in Washington, DC.
“More than 85% of the South Building is unoccupied and there is a $1.6 billion backlog in deferred maintenance,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “It is simply unacceptable to put these costs on the taxpayer. We are being strong stewards of taxpayer dollars while also ensuring top notch customer service and fulfilling our promises to American farmers.”
The building will be turned over to the General Services Administration for sale. The USDA staff will be relocated to offices in Colorado, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, and Utah.
Construction on the seven-story, 4,500-room South Building began in 1930 and was completed in 1936. At the time of its opening, it was the largest office building in the world until the completion of the Pentagon in 1943. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Photo: AgnosticPreachersKid / Wikimedia Commons
