Gary Caruso (202) 260-4227

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced today that LCOR Alexandria, L.L.C., has been chosen as the successful offeror for the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) consolidation project. LCOR’s proposal provides for development of approximately 2 million square feet of office and related leased space for PTO on the Carlyle site, located on currently undeveloped land at Dulaney Street and Eisenhower Avenue between Elizabeth Lane and Carlyle Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

Nelson B. Alcalde, Regional Administrator for GSA’s National Capital Region, signed a Record of Decision (ROD) today that identified LCOR and the Carlyle site as the selected alternative for meeting PTO’s long-term housing needs. The ROD states that LCOR’s proposal was rated the highest technically and offered the lowest price. As a result, LCOR’s proposal was determined to be the greatest overall value to the Government, consistent with the evaluation criteria stated in the Solicitation for Offers for the project.

"This decision paves the way for awarding a lease in the near future," said Alcalde. "It is the largest single lease the Federal Government has ever initiated, and we look forward to an expeditious conclusion of the final phase of this project."

The project calls for nearly 2 million square feet of occupiable space within five connected buildings. The complex is designed in a "U" configuration with two adjacent, and connected, above-ground parking structures that will house 3,500 vehicles. At the closed end of the "U" will rise an 18-story tower as the centerpiece of the facility. Four nearly identical office buildings of ten floors each will flank it. The complex will be within walking distance of the Eisenhower Avenue and King Street Metro stations as well as the King Street VRE station.

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For more than 20 years, PTO has been located in leased space in the Crystal City area of Northern Virginia. PTO presently occupies 18 separate office buildings spanning a 1.1 mile area. Since 1989, GSA and the PTO have worked on plans to consolidate and update the PTO office complex. Current facilities are in need of alterations and expansion to meet the PTO’s programmatic and increased space needs caused by a decided increase in patent applications (up 39 percent since 1994) and trademark applications (up 65 percent since 1994).

In 1995, Congress authorized GSA to lease approximately 2 million occupiable square feet of office and related space for PTO in Northern Virginia, for a 20-year term. The Solicitation for Offers related to this project was issued in June 1996.

More information, including the Record of Decision and an executive summary, is available by close of business today on the NCR web site: http://ncr.gsa.gov/pto.