Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as Amended

REDEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHWESTERN PORTION

OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

SEC. 412. (a) In exercising the authority contained in section 411 within the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia, the Administrator of General Services shall conform to the plan for redevelopment of that area pursuant to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act of 1945. Purchase contract agreements for this area shall be for terms of not less than ten years nor more than thirty

years.

(b) The Administrator of General Services is authorized to transfer lands of the United States under his control needed by the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency to said Agency within the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia, and in consideration therefor, to accept from said Agency other lands and interests of equivalent value within the same area.

(c) Whenever the Administrator of General Services initially occupies a building in the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia pursuant to a purchase contract agreement, he shall thereupon cause to be demolished temporary Government building space in the District of Columbia of equivalent occupancy.

(d) In exercising the authority contained in section 411 within the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia, the Administrator of General Services is hereby authorized, pursuant to section 302 (c) (14) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, to negotiate purchase contracts, in accordance with title III of such Act. In negotiating such contracts, the Administrator shall take all practicable steps to insure competition among prospective contractors.

(e) The limitation of three years set forth in the second sentence of section 411 (e) shall be read as five years with respect to purchase contracts for projects within the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia.

(f) In transmitting the prospectus required by section 411 with respect to any proposed purchase contract for a project within the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia, which shall be published in the Federal Register for a period of ten consecutive days from date of submission to the respective committees, the Administrator shall not be required to include the certificate referred to in subdivision (3) of section 411 (e).

ANALYSIS

Section 412. Redevelopment of southwestern portion of District of Columbia (Sec. 412, 69 Stat. 297; 40 U. S. C. 356a)

(a) Term of contract.-This subsection requires the Administrator of General Services to conform to the plan for redevelopment of the southwestern

165

portion of the District of Columbia pursuant to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act of 1945 whenever his authority is exercised to enter into leasepurchase agreements in such southwestern area under the Public Buildings Purchase Contract Act of 1954. This subsection extends the terms of such purchase contract agreements for this area from not less than ten years nor more than twenty-five years to not less than ten years nor more than thirty years.

(b) Authority to exchange lands.-This subsection specifically authorizes the Administrator of General Services to exchange lands of the United States under his control within the southwestern area of the District of Columbia for other lands of equivalent value within the same area owned by the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency.

(c) Destruction of temporary buildings.—This subsection provides that when the Administrator of General Services occupies a building in the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia pursuant to a purchase contract agreement, he shall cause to be demolished temporary Government buildings in the District of Columbia of equivalent occupancy.

(d) Negotiation of purchase contracts.-This subsection provides that in entering into lease-purchase contracts within the southwestern portion of the District of Columbia, the Administrator of General Services is authorized to negotiate purchase contracts. In negotiating contracts, however, the Administrator is required to comply with those provisions of title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, which are applicable to contracts negotiated pursuant to section 302 (c) (14) of that act. The Administrator is also required to take all practical steps to insure competition among prospective contractors.

(e) Extension of time for approval by Congressional Committees.-Section 411 (e) of the Public Buildings Act of 1949, which provides that no appropriations shall be made for purchase contract projects unless they have been approved by the Committees on Public Works of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, contains certain procedural provisions which are not adapted to the situation in the southwest portion of the District of Columbia. One of these is that approval of the Committees on Public Works must be secured within 3 years after the date of enactment of the Public Buildings Purchase Contract Act of 1954. Since 1 year of that period had already passed when section 412 was added, and since the proposed southwestern redevelopment project involves many complexities, a 5-year period for such approval was substituted by subsection (e) of section 412.

(f) Publication in the Federal Register.-This subsection requires that any prospectus with respect to a purchase contract for the southwestern area of the District of Columbia be published in the Federal Register for a period of 10 consecutive days from date of submission to the respective Congressional Committees. The subsection also eliminates the necessity for the certificate of need for space signed by the head of agency or agencies which will use the project (referred to in subdivision 3 of section 411 (e) of the Public Buildings Act of 1949) as not appropriate in connection with projects in the southwest portion of the District of Columbia, since one of the objectives of section 412 is to assist in the removal of temporary buildings, and since, in any event, the Administrator of General Services is charged with overall responsibility for the assignment of space.

INDEX TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS ACT OF 1949, AS
AMENDED, SECS. 411-412 (Lease-Purchase Provisions)