If you feel like you have been seeing more and more of me over the past couple of weeks at GSA, you DO NOT need to have your eyes examined. Bill and I have been very busy taking over contract administration duties while Matt Oviatt has been focused (quite successfully!) on Business Development. It’s been exciting to see so many of you in your environment and in action.

GSA/PET/SDM Program

On May 28, 2010 the Capitol CREAG / UNISYS Team was awarded the Spatial Data Management (SDM) contract with the GSA/NCR Pricing Execution and Tools (PET) Division.

GSA/PET/SDM Program Overview:

The SDM Program is GSA’s national effort to create, update, and maintain its spatial data and associated Computer Aided Design (CAD) floor plans to accurately reflect the national federally owned inventory. SDM CAD floor plans are the basis for the assignment data and square footage information that PBS uses for tenant rent bills. The creation and maintenance of drawings supports accurate rent bills for customer agencies. The SDM program also aids in the performance and utilization of each asset while identifying the most efficient and cost-effective way to house Federal employees and manage Federal Space. The NCR SDM program surveys, measures, and validates spatial and assignment data for NCR’s buildings and maintains spatial data using AutoCAD, Map3D and eSmart, the SDM database platform.

New Team Members

On June 1, 2010 we began the on-boarding of 12 new team members. We are excited to welcome Team Lead/Program Manager, Leon Hatton, and his team of highly skilled CAD/CAFM Engineers. They are well respected at GSA.

So, if you see a professional walking down the hall with a friendly smile and a blue Capitol CREAG lanyard hanging from their neck, I encourage you to introduce yourself and welcome the SDM members to the family.

GSA Financial Management Division, shared the Good News with Capitol CREAG Team Leader, Marvin Muhammad, this week.  As a result of Capitol CREAG’s efforts, GSA NCR PBS Achieves GREEN Score in November FY10 Accounts Payable. This is the First Time achieving this status since the measurement was established in November FY09.

Congratulations for a Job Well Done!

If over the next few days you run into me and I seem much more laid back, it’s because I just got back from Parsons, KS where the people are friendly and the Main Street wins awards.

This past Tuesday, Calibre sat down with Selena, Matt, Shaun, and myself for lunch and asked us to do a building assessment for a 67,000 sq ft building just southeast of Parsons at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP).  The plant is closing due to BRAC.

After getting a notice to move forward on Wednesday, Shaun and I took the 5:30 AM flight out of BWI and made it to Parsons around noon on Thursday.

What we found in Parsons was all kinds of very helpful information from:

• The Local Redevelopment Planning Authority
• Parsons Economic Development Director
• Bob Wood (the commercial broker of choice for the county)
• The Army Corps of Engineers, and
• The Army personnel still on-site at the KSAAP.

This morning Shaun and I sit down to begin writing our report.  With all the helpful information from the people mentioned above, the 200 page report by the LRPA, the 700 page environmental report from the Army Corps, and a few other sources, I have to admit I’m really looking forward to giving our assessment for the building’s Highest and Best Use.

With less than 9 days left until the Anne Arundel County Executive submits the Odenton Town Center “BRAC Zoning Application” to the State of Maryland, its been really important to me to make sure we have done everything we can to rally public support for our listing at the Odenton Town Center.

We’ve received lots of interest in the Odenton Town Center from corporations, hotel and convention center prospects, and DOD contractors who want to lease space.  Our buildings, however, are dependent on getting the permits we need to start construction.

One way I see that we may be able to get our permits is to promote support for infrastructure such as roads and utilities.  The BRAC Zoning would make Arundel County government eligible for additional funding and other State resources to offset those expenses.

According to Anne Arundel County’s website:

The BRAC Revitalization and Incentive Zone benefits are comprised of state rebates related to incremental tax revenue from the increased value of qualified properties in the BRAC Zone. Rebated funds must be used for infrastructure improvements in the BRAC Zone. The designation would also provide eligibility for Anne Arundel County to leverage other available state programs.

What We’re Doing

In order to do what we can to encourage support for permits and BRAC Zoning, we’ve written letters to:

• Governor O’Malley
• Lt. Governor Brown
• Governor O’Malley’s BRAC Subcabinet
• US Senators Mikulski and Carden
• US Congressman Sarbanes
• The Ft. Meade Alliance Board of Directors
• Ft. Meade Officials
• The Baltimore Business Journal
• Business Monthly/Patuxent Publishing
• The Washington Post
• The Anne Arundel Examiner
• The Associated Press
• USA Today
• The Baltimore Sun

I’m really hopeful that we can play a large part in helping Anne Arundel County move forward.  Our goal is to exceed expectations as broker for the Halle Companies while supporting the citizens of AA County, Howard County and the brave men and women of the US military as BRAC’s effects are felt by all of us.

I’m still confident that with the county, state, millitary, and Halles working together, we are more than able to reach our 2010 occupancy date.

Leticia and Bill have been working diligently to prepare for the implementation of an Electronic Timesheet System and we’re ready to go live across the organization effective 10/01/2008.

This Thursday, we will be hosting a live training session at our headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building during lunch.  We will also have a live Internet presentation in our Atlanta office.

Locations

• Ronald Reagan Bldg. - 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 700, Washington, DC
• Atlanta - 260 Peachtree St., Suite 900, Atlanta, GA

Time

If you cant make it into one of these locations, we will have a phone in teleconference option for personnel located at Capitol CREAG outposts.  You will need a phone line and internet connection to participate.

Phone 1-800-511-7983
Access Code 572627

If you have any questions, please contact Paul, Kendra or Matt at (202)355-1028.