New owner of former GSA regional HQ site in Auburn offers details of redevelopment
The real estate entity behind redevelopment of the former Weyerhaeuser campus in Federal Way has announced its plans for its latest acquisition, the former federal complex in Auburn.
LA-based Industrial Realty Group acquired the 129-acre former U.S. General Services Administration site in a government-run auction for $80 million earlier this year. The buyer was announced in May by GSA after months of finalizing terms.
IRG this week said it plans to redevelop the property, 400 15th St. SW, as Auburn 18 Business Park.
“We regularly seek out sustainable projects with adaptive reuse potential,” John Mase, CEO of IRG, said in a statement. “In Auburn, our plan includes both investing in the improvement of the existing campus and creating new, state-of-the-art buildings. It’s an exciting, robust project.”
The 1.4 million-square-foot campus is home to eight buildings, which IRG says will be renovated. The company plans to double the amount of development on site, adding eight new buildings totaling one million square feet.
The Auburn campus was home to the GSA regional headquarters for more than half a century before it relocated to the Columbia Bank Center, 1301 A St. in Tacoma.
According to the plans IRG announced this week, the government will lease back two of the existing buildings.
A child care services provider, the Social Security Administration and the Federal Protective Service remain at the Auburn campus.
In a May news release about the sale, GSA said the remaining entities “may occupy a portion of the property rent-free until April 30, 2024.”
“The support of the GSA and the Auburn community has created an environment that will foster future investment on site,” said Stuart Lichter, president of IRG. “We are thrilled to begin the process of securing job-creating tenants.”
He added: “The leasing team envisions a broad spectrum of tenants that could include a variety of industrial, manufacturing, light assembly, and retail uses.”
IRG also is in the process of redeveloping the former Weyehaeuser campus as Woodbridge Corporate Park. Part of that project includes working with the state to repurpose the iconic former headquarters building as a public innovation and education resource center.
IRG’s portfolio contains more than 150 properties in 28 states.
“Repositioning former military and government-owned projects is something we’ve done very successfully in the past, and we’re excited to pursue this effort in Auburn,” Lichter said in Friday’s release.
The Auburn site is near Interstate 5 and the intersection of state Routes 167 and 18. It also has dual rail service from BNSF and Union Pacific, with BNSF’s main switching yard across from the site.
