Restoring Common Sense to Federal Office Space Management, Executive Order 14274, April 18, 2025
Aims to free agencies to select cost-effective facilities by revoking prior EOs ordering the federal government to prioritize central or historic business areas.
From the Order:
Section 1 . Purpose. The American people are spread across more than 3.8 million square miles in urban, suburban, and rural areas. To provide the highest quality services in an efficient and cost-effective manner, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must be where the people are.
President Carter signed Executive Order 12072 of August 16, 1978 (Federal Space Management), ordering the Federal Government to prioritize central business districts when siting Federal facilities in urban areas. Intended to improve these districts, President Carter's order has instead prevented agencies from relocating to lower-cost facilities.
Building on Executive Order 12072, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13006 of May 21, 1996 (Locating Federal Facilities on Historic Properties in Our Nation's Central Cities), to encourage agencies to locate their facilities in historic properties and districts, especially when located in central business areas. Much like President Carter's order, President Clinton's order failed to adequately prioritize efficient and effective Government service.
Revoking these orders will restore common sense to Federal office space management by freeing agencies to select cost-effective facilities and focus on successfully carrying out their missions for American taxpayers.