As landlord and real estate agent for the federal government, the General Services Administration (GSA) understands that property plays an important role in creating livable communities. Federal real property can serve as a catalyst for urban revitalization when reused by localities to provide jobs, contribute to the local tax base, or preserve greenspace. With thousands of federal properties located throughout the country, GSA is partnering with communities to ensure that underutilized federal properties are an active component in the redevelopment of our nation's urban centers.

In 1997, GSA launched the Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative to identify and redeploy underutilized federal properties. GSA views brownfields as underutilized federal properties that, through a partnership between GSA and the community, can be reused to bolster local revitalization efforts. Reusing federal real property makes efficient use of existing infrastructure while providing an alternative to developing open space and contributing to urban sprawl. To address potential federal brownfield sites, GSA has targeted 39 diverse project locations. The project locations were chosen based upon existing partnerships among federal, state, and local organizations already working to better the economic and social well-being of these communities.

Establishing and maintaining partnerships at the local, state, and federal levels is at the heart of GSA's Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative. For the reuse of underutilized real property to truly benefit the community, effective collaboration is required among all stakeholders during the planning and redevelopment process.

Within each of its brownfields project locations, GSA works with state and local planners, economic development officials, and commnunity groups to effectively match underutilized federal property holdings with local revitalization objectives. Through an exchange of information, communities become aware of the location of federal land holdings within their localities and have a better understanding of the process involved in acquiring underutilized federal property. In turn, GSA, guided by local objectives, is able to focus and prioritize the disposal of underutilized real property.

GSA's commitment to building partnerships is further demonstrated by its participation in the National Brownfields Partnership, which coordinates the redevelopment efforts of federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. Through the National Brownfields Partnership, GSA reaffirms its commitment to helping communities by working closely with other federal agencies involved in brownfields redevlopment, including the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

GSA understands that the revitalization of communities involves more than the reuse of old buildings. Redevelopment encompasses a wide array of socio-economic and land use issues, all of which must be addressed if a community is to be revitalized. GSA approaches brownfields redevelopment as a real estate transaction guided by local needs and concerns.

In addition to information exchange between GSA and the community, GSA coordinates with state and federal representatives to ensure that the identification of underutilized federal properties incorporates the latest state and federal revitalization initiatives. GSA integrates this information using a geographic information system (GIS) that allows GSA to consider diverse community revitalization issues, helping to focus its identification and analysis of underutilized property holdings.

Tremendous efforts have already been undertaken to revitalize our nation's urban areas, from small-scale neighborhood preservation efforts to large-scale federal partnership projects. GSA's Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative is a vital component in the ongoing strategy to revitalize communities. GSA will continue to collaborate with local officials, community stakeholders, and state and federal agencies to ensure that underutilized federal property is a productive component in local revitalization and livability efforts.