TSA’s Headquarters Move Could Be Delayed by Judge’s Order

The plan to move the Transportation Security Administration’s main office from Arlington, Va., to neighboring Alexandria has bumped into a legal obstacle that could threaten the transition scheduled for 2017.

As reported first by Washington Business Journal, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Charles Lettow on Nov. 12 halted the General Services Administration’s preparations to move the agency to the newly leased vacant offices at Victory Center, a 665,000-square-foot property on Eisenhower Ave. It is owned by an affiliate of Prudential Real Estate Investors whose winning bid drew a challenge from Boston Properties.

The protesting company, which had offered its property in Springfield, Va., questioned GSA’s analysis of the low bids, and the judge agreed under an order that remains sealed.

GSA announced the TSA move in August, saying it had negotiated a lease 25 percent below market rates.

Neither TSA nor GSA would comment to Government Executive on the pending litigation.

(Image via Rena Schild/Shutterstock.com)