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BGS commissioner tells Senate committee sales of several capital-complex properties are paused pending FEMA talks
Summary
At a March 11 Senate Institutions Committee meeting, the state Buildings and General Services commissioner said planned sales of several state-owned buildings in the capital complex are on hold while the state awaits FEMA decisions and weighs flood‑mitigation options under FEMA Section 428.
The commissioner for Buildings and General Services told the Senate Institutions Committee on March 11 that the state has paused active sales of multiple buildings in the capital complex until it finalizes negotiations with FEMA and determines how flood‑mitigation funding will be applied.
“As commissioner, if you are, I would ask that you pause and wait until we finalize with FEMA on the approach that we’re taking on the money that we receive,” the commissioner told the committee, asking senators to hold off on moving forward with property sales while FEMA outcomes are resolved.
Committee members and the commissioner reviewed specific parcels. The commissioner said 9 Baldwin was sold last year and that 14 Bland has been marketed but remains a “challenging” property to sell. A historic building identified as 112, directly across from the pavilion, previously received authority to be sold but marketing and any sale activity have been suspended because the state is awaiting FEMA’s final offer and any requirements tied to repairs or mitigation.
The commissioner said the state has submitted deliverables to FEMA and remains engaged despite what she described as staffing and response delays at the agency. She explained that FEMA’s Section 428 option gives recipients greater flexibility than ‘‘replace in kind’’ funding and could affect design and mitigation choices for buildings and adjacent lots.
“428 gives you the ability to have more flexibility in your design and your thinking than just replacing in kind,” she said, adding that state staff have been responding to FEMA requests for additional information and that one state point person remains actively engaged with FEMA staff.
Lawmakers pressed for clarity on any conditions attached to prior sale approvals; one senator asked the committee to pull the language that authorized earlier sales to confirm whether restrictions were included. Committee members said staff should check whether prior authorizations included limitations that would affect future action.
No motions or votes were taken at the hearing. The commissioner and committee members said the next steps are to wait for FEMA’s decisions on grants and mitigation options, to review any sale-authorizing language for restrictions, and to reconvene when the administration has clarified how FEMA assistance will be applied to the capital complex.
The committee adjourned without taking formal action.
