The New York Times Quotes Angela Styles on Efforts by Public Buildings Reform Board to Sell Unused Government Property
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The New York Times has quoted Akin Gump government contracts partner Angela Styles in the article “A Plan to Hasten the Sale of Surplus Federal Property Gets Bogged Down.” Styles spoke in her capacity as a member of the Public Buildings Reform Board.
The article reports on the federal government’s efforts to sell real estate that it no longer needs. Legislation passed in 2016, it says, created the board, which was established to identify underused properties and expedite their disposal. So far, however, only one property that the board has recommended for sale has actually been sold, according to the Times, which notes that a brokerage firm was recommended to assist in expediting sales and maximizing returns.
“We’re supposed to be making money,” said Styles, a former Office of Management and Budget official.
As the board looks ahead to its next list of properties to sell, the article says there will be some changes in the way it conducts business. As an example, members are now doing more outreach to public officials in whose districts potential sites are sitting.
“We learned a lesson,” Styles said. “Communication is just absolutely critical.”