Order Code RS22281
September 27, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
General Services Administration Federal
Facilities Affected by Hurricane Katrina
Stephanie Smith
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast on August 29, 2005, causing widespread
flooding and significant property and infrastructure damage to federal facilities in
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The General Services Administration (GSA) is
the federal government’s primary federal real property and asset management agency,
with 11 regional offices that oversee GSA owned and leased federal buildings and
courthouses. Twelve federal facilities have been closed because of Hurricane Katrina
in GSA’s Southeast Region 4, which includes Alabama and Mississippi. In GSA’s
Greater Southwest Region 7, all federal facilities in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area
are closed until further notice. While not all GSA owned and leased facilities suffered
major structural damage, there is no supporting critical infrastructure, such as water
supply, electricity, or accessible roads. More than 30 GSA technical and building
specialists are conducting building inspections to assess when or if federal facilities in
these areas may be reopened. GSA is using trailers and obtaining emergency 180 day
leases in surrounding areas to relocate federal tenants. GSA owned courthouse facilities
in New Orleans, LA, and Gulfport, MS, have temporarily relocated1 to Houston, TX,
Houma, LA, and Jackson, MS. Senate bill S. 1708, the Emergency Lease Requirements
Act of 2005, would amend current law to authorize the GSA Administrator to enter into
emergency lease agreements for up to five years following a major disaster. This report
will be updated as additional information is received.
Introduction and Background
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast on August 29, 2005, causing significant
property and infrastructure damage to GSA owned and leased federal buildings and
courthouses in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, necessitating the eventual relocation
1 Public Law 109-63 (119 Stat. 1993), the Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005,
authorizes any federal court of appeals, or district or bankruptcy court to hold special sessions
outside its judicial circuit at any place within the United States in the event of emergency
conditions when no location within the circuit is reasonably available.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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of as many as 40,000 federal employees representing all major federal agencies.2 The
General Services Administration (GSA), through its Public Buildings Service (PBS), is
the primary federal real property and asset management agency, with 11 regional offices
that oversee GSA owned and leased federal buildings and courthouses. GSA is also
responsible for the design and construction of federal courthouses within GSA’s 11
regional districts. GSA’s Southeast Region 4 includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina, 17 federal facilities were closed in Alabama and Mississippi.3 As
of September 13, 2005, five federal facilities have reopened, and employees from seven
other closed buildings have been temporarily relocated elsewhere (see Table 1). The
states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas comprise GSA’s
Greater Southwest Region 7. All federal facilities in the affected New Orleans, LA, area
are closed indefinitely (see Table 2). While there is no specific information available
from GSA as to the particular assignment or relocation status of each federal facility in
the New Orleans area, GSA officials in Region 7 are leasing temporary office space in the
Baton Rouge, LA area for federal tenants.4
Current Situation
While not all GSA owned and leased facilities suffered major structural damage in
the affected areas, there is no supporting critical infrastructure, such as water, electricity,
sewage systems, or even accessible roads to reach the federal facilities. There are also
related environmental concerns that might affect the health and safety of federal
employees in the affected areas. More than 30 GSA technical and building specialists are
conducting building inspections to assess when or if federal facilities may be reopened.
GSA is using trailers and obtaining emergency 180 day leases in surrounding areas to
provide temporary office space.5 A related problem is that many federal employees were
forced to evacuate to areas located away from federal facilities when their homes were
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
Federal Buildings. In order to accommodate workers who formerly resided and
worked in New Orleans, and relocated to Baton Rouge, GSA is leasing temporary office
space in this general area. According to GSA regional specialists, it has been a difficult
task to find suitable office space for all of its federal tenants, and that the administration
2 Tim Kauffman, “In Katrina’s Wake,” Federal Times, Sept. 5, 2005, p. 1.
3 The information used in this report was obtained from telephone conversations with various
GSA regional specialists on Sept. 12, Sept. 16, and Sept. 19, 2005, unless otherwise indicated.
According to GSA specialists, additional information will be forthcoming as it becomes
available.
4 A GSA facility may only house federal tenants from one agency. However, most leased GSA
facilities in these affected regions housed federal tenants from several agencies. At this time,
GSA has not compiled a listing of the affected federal agency tenants, or the number of federal
employees involved.
5 40 U.S.C. § 3307(e) authorizes the GSA Administrator to enter into an emergency lease
agreement for not more than 180 days, without prior congressional approval of a lease
prospectus. Senate bill S. 1708, the Emergency Lease Requirements Act of 2005, would amend
current law to authorize the GSA Administrator to enter into emergency lease agreements for up
to five years during a major disaster, without prior congressional approval of a lease prospectus.

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has been forced to use leasing and relocation priorities. In the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, GSA first leased all available office space in Baton Rouge, which was urgently
needed by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). Leased office space in Baton Rouge has been obtained by
GSA for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice’s Federal
Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.6 GSA recently signed
a lease in the Baton Rouge area to house Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue
Service employees formerly located in New Orleans. GSA officials are now leasing
available office space in Lafayette, LA, Shreveport, LA, and Jackson, MS, to
accommodate other federal tenants. GSA is attempting to complete inspections of
administration leased facilities as soon as possible to determine the extent of structural
damage. If GSA specialists decide that the leased properties are not fully habitable, the
agency will notify landlords that it will terminate its existing leases within 15 days after
notification. GSA officials also state that, in many instances, it has been difficult for the
agency to locate landlords who have relocated elsewhere. GSA will also determine the
extent of damage to buildings it owns, and will notify tenants if they will have to continue
with rent payments.
Courthouses. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, two GSA owned federal
courthouses, the John Minor Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the
Hale Boggs Federal Building and U.S. Federal Courthouse for the Fifth Circuit, were
closed in New Orleans. Both courthouses suffered wind damage, broken windows, and
roof leaks, but the buildings’ structures are intact.7 It is unknown when water, electrical
power, and communications systems will become available. The U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit has relocated to the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Houston, TX, for a
three-month period, with court business resuming on September 21, 2005.8 After that
time, courthouse operations may relocate to Baton Rouge, LA, and Lafayette, LA, if GSA
can obtain adequate court and office space there. Many judges and court employees lost
their homes in the New Orleans area, and temporary housing may be obtained for them
in Gonzalez, LA, centrally located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. GSA leased
court space in Houma, LA, has been acquired for district court judges and court staff who
were formerly located in the Hale Boggs U.S. Federal Courthouse.9
The Dan M. Russell, Jr. U.S. Federal Courthouse for the Fifth Circuit, Gulfport, MS,
was also closed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Preliminary reports indicate that
the building is intact, but has sustained severe water and wind damage. While GSA has
6 GSA leases office space to several law enforcement agencies in New Orleans. According to
GSA, the names and locations of this leased office space is not included in GSA’s public listing
of closed facilities for reasons of security.
7 Information on the status of the courts was obtained from the Administrative Office of the
Courts, Office of Legislative Affairs, on Sept. 16, 2005, and from GSA regional specialists on
Sept. 15, 2005.
8 119 Stat. 1993.
9 In a Sept. 16, 2005, letter to the President, the Judicial Conference of the United States
requested $65.5 million in emergency supplemental appropriations for the expenses of relocating
more than 400 judges and court staff in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. See: Federal Courts
S e e k E m e r g e n c y F u n d i n g i n H u r r i c a n e K a t r i n a ’ s W a k e a t
[http://www.uscourts.gov/newsroom/katrina.html], visited Sept. 22, 2005.

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not yet assessed the full extent of damage, it appears that the courthouse will not be
operable for several months. Court operations are suspended for 30 days, and the court
will relocate in Jackson, MS. Housing will be sought for judges and staff throughout the
district who lost their homes because of Hurricane Katrina. A fourth GSA owned
courthouse, the John A. Campbell U.S. Federal Courthouse, for the Eleventh Circuit,
Mobile, AL, was closed due to damaged mechanical systems; however, both the Southern
District of Alabama district and bankruptcy courts have resumed operations in the
courthouse.
Table 1 indicates the 12 federal facilities that are closed in Alabama, Louisiana, and
Mississippi, as of September 13, 2005.
Table 1. Closed Federal Facilities in GSA Region 4, as of
September 13, 2005
Leased or
Temporary
Size (in
Name Location
Owned
Relocation
Square Feet)
Edgewater Office
Biloxi, MS
Leased
Yes
2,954
Plaza
Dan M. Russell Jr.
Gulfport, MS
Owned
Yes
190,228
US Courthouse
Dan M. Russell Jr.
Gulfport, MS
Owned
No
38,062
Courthouse Annex
Oak Lane Pro
Gulfport, MS
Leased
No
9,958
Center
Social Security
Gulfport, MS
Leased
No
16,388
Administration
(SSA) Building
Hancock Bank
Gulfport, MS
Leased
Yes
2,555
Plaza
One Government
Gulfport, MS
Leased
No
15,230
Plaza
U.S. Dept of
Hattiesburg,
Leased
Yes
3,940
Agriculture
MS
GM&O Building
Mobile, AL
Leased
Yes
4,978
SSA Building
Moss Point,
Leased
No
7,071
MS
Millette Building
Pascagoula,
Leased
Yes
1,456
MS
Plaza West
Pascagoula,
Leased
Yes
3,224
MS
Source: U.S. General Services Administration, Government Facilities Status and Information, September
19, 2005, 4 p.; and information provided by GSA specialists in Region 4, on September 16, 2005.

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Table 2 indicates the federal facilities that are closed in Louisiana.
Table 2. Closed Federal Facilities in GSA Region 7
Name
Location
Leased or
Temporary
Size (in
Owned
Relocation
Square Feet)
1 Canal Place Garage
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
Not available
1250 Poydras Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
26,348
1515 Poydras Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
33,046
1555 Poydras Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
9,200
2901 Leon C. Simon
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
137,279
3615 Tulane Avenue
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
21,000
4277 Poche Court West
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
121,909
6700 Plaza Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
2,852
916 N. Peter Street
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
2,139
Bartholomew Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
10,805
Canal Place 1
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
65,340
U.S. Corps of Engineers
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
7,972
East Point Shopping
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
6,889
Center
Energy Centre
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
5,552
Fisk Record Center
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
44,813
Freeport McMoran
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
24,173
LaFayette Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
16,627
Murphy Building
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
3,231
Oak Park Shopping Center
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
Not available
Texaco Center
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
7,846
Textron Marine
New Orleans, LA
Leased
Not available
32,045
U.S. Customs and Border
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
4,206
Patrol Service
Building 1
Building 2
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
2,744
Building 3
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
2,773
Building 4
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
887
Building 13
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
5,443
Building 14
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
444
F.E. Hebert Federal
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Not available
217,681
Building
H. Boggs Federal
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Yes
598,271
Building/Courthouse
J.M. Wisdom Courthouse
New Orleans, LA
Owned
Yes
180,558
Source: U.S. General Services Administration, Government Facilities Status and Information, September
19, 2005, 4 p.; and information provided by GSA specialists in Region 7, on September 19, 2005.

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