Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Monroe Relocation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State outlines relocation plan for James Monroe building tenants; moves to begin in 2025–26
Summary
The Department of General Services presented a plan to relocate state agencies from the James Monroe building using $35 million appropriated in the enacted budget; agencies will move to state‑owned space where possible, with some leases pending, and the plan aims to minimize parking and rent‑plan impacts.
Blanche Tewoldi, director of the Department of General Services, briefed the Senate Finance Committee on June 4 on the plan to relocate tenants out of the James Monroe building using $35 million appropriated in the enacted budget.
Tewoldi said the budget language unallotted the $35 million until DGS provided the six‑year capital advisory committee (the “6‑pack”) a detailed relocation briefing; the committee reviewed and approved the plan in May. DGS has already moved the Office of the Inspector General from Monroe to Reeds Row (May 27) and engaged design firms to plan tenant improvements for receiving spaces.
The department intends first to occupy state‑owned vacancy space where feasible. Several agencies will move into state properties: Department of Accounts and Department of Human Resource Management (Main Street Center), Treasury to workers’ compensation space, and others to Madison, Jefferson and other state buildings. A number of agencies (APA, CHEV, DOE, DSBSD, DVS and pharmacy functions) are expected to go to leased spaces; DGS said negotiations on specific lease locations are in progress and some finalizations are imminent.
DGS said it is trying to limit disruption to the state parking fund and reported estimated annual parking impacts of about $369,000 after relocation; most agencies moving to leased space will remain in the state parking system except for a few exceptions. The department is also evaluating conference‑space needs: Monroe currently hosts about 450 meetings per year, and DGS plans to use Madison and Main Street Center conference space and consider leased conference facilities as interim options.
Tewoldi said the agency will continue coordinating agency program needs, IT infrastructure, tenant improvements and procurement of moving services; anticipated relocation windows for many agencies are calendar year 2026. She said DGS will provide additional cost estimates and final lease terms to the 6‑pack and the committee as negotiations conclude.
