US government wants to get rid of 3 federal buildings in Utah 

SALT LAKE CITY — Three federal buildings in Utah occupying over 830,000 square feet are included in a list of “noncore” properties headed for the chopping block.

The sprawling IRS Service Center on West 12th Street in Ogden, the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building at 125 S. State in Salt Lake City, and the St. George Federal Building at 196 E. Tabernacle St. are all on a list of more than 440 federal properties across the nation slated for “disposal.” U.S. General Services Administration officials released the list — still subject to change — in an announcement Tuesday.

“Decades of funding deficiencies have resulted in many of these buildings becoming functionally obsolete and unsuitable for use by our federal workforce,” the agency wrote in a statement. “We can no longer hope that funding will emerge to resolve these long-standing issues. GSA’s decisive action to dispose of noncore assets leverages the private sector, drives improvements for our agency customers and best serves local communities.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what it means for federal agencies that still operate out of the facilities, and officials don’t yet have a timeline for action, according to a GSA spokesman. In announcing last December that the James V. Hansen Federal Building in Ogden was to be sold, though, a GSA rep said those working out of the structure would be relocated elsewhere in Ogden.

All 440-plus buildings across the country are regarded by the administration as properties that are “not core to government operations.” Closing them allows the agency to “reinvest in high-quality work environments that support agency missions.”

The plans, sparked by Department of Government Efficiency efforts to trim the federal budget, represent over $8.3 billion in “recapitalization needs,” the agency added. Simultaneously, the administration of President Donald Trump has been moving to pare back the federal workforce, though Tuesday’s statement made no mention of those efforts.

Not to be touched are “core” federal assets needed for “critical government operations,” including courthouses, land ports of entry and facilities related to national defense and law enforcement. “These core assets are intrinsically significant to the mission of the federal government and will be retained for long-term needs,” reads Tuesday’s statement.

The Ogden IRS building at 1160 W. 12th St. is the largest of the three Utah facilities to be sold off or otherwise disposed of, containing 493,219 square feet. It’s one of several buildings in Ogden housing IRS offices and sits on 40.6 acres of land off the northeast corner of West 12th Street and 1200 West, where Ogden meets Marriott-Slaterville.

It’s not the only Ogden structure the feds want to get rid of. Last December, the GSA announced it planned to dispose of the six-story James V. Hansen Federal Building at 324 25th St. in the city center, which houses offices of several federal agencies. Later in December, Ogden officials approved plans to buy the old U.S. Forest Service building from the feds for $3.6 million.

The Bennett Federal Building in Salt Lake City held — at least at one point — over 600 federal employees from 24 federal agencies, according to the administration. It’s also the listed active home of Salt Lake City offices for Utah Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans. It contains 327,776 square feet of space.

The Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office declined KSL.com’s request for comment, explaining it’s still reviewing the measure to see what impacts it might have on the city. Ogden officials didn’t respond to queries seeking comment.

The St. George building, measuring 9,885 square feet, is the listed address for the U.S. Forest Service Pine Valley Ranger District and Southern Paiute Agency, among other entities.

The means of getting rid of the 440 properties has yet to be determined. GSA officials will conduct “market research” and seek feedback on “potential disposition strategies,” the agency said.