Management contracts for the International Trade Center (ITC) — a portion of the Ronald Reagan Building set aside for private businesses — are set to expire in 2018 and the General Services Administration is asking for input on new operating models.

GSA issued a request for information seeking "any and all input and feedback from qualified respondents" on alternative ways to structure the contract agreement around this unique public-private partnership.

The Reagan Building is the only federally-owned property to house both public and private sector tenants.

Four of the five towers are filled by federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Commerce Department's Trade Information Center. The ITC — located in the North Tower on Pennsylvania Ave. — is home to more than 40 private companies, including office space and commercial tenants.

Under the current structure, the Trade Center Manager (TCM) runs operations of the ITC on a fixed-price contract. The TCM holds a master license and is in charge of issuing sub-licenses to private sector lessees and providing landlord services.

The contractor is also responsible for marketing for the ITC, managing the underground parking and any security needs not related to the Reagan Building's main entry points.

Rent is paid directly to the federal government, with the TCM collecting a percentage. If the minimum rental income is not met, the TCM is on the hook for the difference and must reimburse the government.

Read more contract details in the RFI

The contract was signed in 2008 and has been renewed annually through one-year add-on options that run out at the end of 2018.

An information session is also scheduled for Jan. 21. Submissions on the RFI are due Feb. 20.

GSA will decide whether to go ahead with a request for proposals in May based in part on the responses to the RFI.

About Aaron Boyd

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.

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