McNamara Federal Building garage project will use environmentally friendly materials

The McNamara Federal Building garage in Detroit is slated to undergo a $24 million reconstruction as part of a program seeking to shrink the carbon footprint of construction and manufacturing, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

The General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal properties, announced new projects including the McNamara garage renovation, that will be part of a pilot program to reward projects that commit to using steel, concrete and other construction materials that require less greenhouse gas emissions in their manufacture and installation.

GSA said the garage renovation will use more environmentally friendly concrete and steel.

The McNamara Building on Michigan Avenue houses several federal agency offices. The five-story garage, with three of the levels underground, is considered in serious need to repair, with concrete breaking apart and falling in sections and reinforced steel supports rusting.

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Funding for the project, along with others, was included in legislation passed by Congress last year to fight climate change and lower prescription drug prices for seniors among other Biden administration priorities.

A start time for the design and construction wasn't immediately available but GSA documentation on the project from late 2021 said it would take approximately three years to complete.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.