To authorize the Administrator of General Services to take certain actions with respect to parcels of real property located in Eastlake, Ohio, and Koochiching County, Minnesota, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6524, a bill to authorize the Administrator of General Services to transfer parcels of real property in Eastlake, Ohio, and Koochiching County, Minnesota.

The Koochiching parcel is approximately 5\1/2\ acres located at 1804 3rd Avenue in International Falls, Koochiching, Minnesota. The Koochiching Army Reserve Training Center site includes the U.S. Army Armory Building. The bill transfers the property to Koochiching County, which will pay to have the roof replaced, install a new boiler and heating system, and make extensive repairs to the ceiling. The Army reported the property excess in January 2006 and the General Services Administration, GSA, accepted the report of excess in February 2006. GSA screened the property with other Federal agencies but there were no expressions of interest.

The conveyance will be by quitclaim deed and the County of Koochiching will pay $30,000 to GSA for the real property transfer. The General Services Administration will forward to the Secretary of the Army the net proceeds from the Koochiching transfer.

The parcel of real property in Eastlake is an approximate 10-acre site which includes the John F. Kennedy Senior Citizen Center. In 1964, the city of Eastlake purchased the property and, consistent with the deed restriction, used the site for recreational uses for more than 40 years. The bill will lift the deed restrictions and thus allow the city to use the property for economic development purposes. The city of Eastlake has provided a better location for the senior citizens center. The city of Eastlake will pay $30,000 to GSA for the real property transfer.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6524.

Finally, I insert in the Record an exchange of letters between Chairman Ike Skelton, Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, and me.

House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and

Infrastructure,

Washington, DC, September 22, 2008.

Hon. Ike Skelton,

Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Skelton: I write to you regarding H.R. 6524,

to authorize the Administrator of General Services to take

certain actions with respect to parcels of real property

located in Eastlake, Ohio, and Koochiching County, Minnesota,

and for other purposes.

I appreciate your willingness to waive further

consideration of H.R. 6524, notwithstanding the

jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Armed Services.

Of course, this waiver does not prejudice any further

jurisdictional claims by your Committee over this or similar

legislation. Furthermore, I agree to support your request for

appointment of conferees from the Committee on Armed Services

if a conference is held on this matter.

This exchange of letters will be placed in the Committee

Report on H.R. 6524 and inserted in the Congressional Record

as part of the consideration of this legislation in the

House. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have

worked regarding this matter and others between our

respective committees. I understand that you prefer to

consider such property transfers in National Defense

Authorization Acts and I greatly appreciate your courtesy in

waiving further consideration of H.R. 6524.

I look forward to working with you as we prepare to pass

this important legislation.

Sincerely,

James L. Oberstar,

Chairman

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6524) to authorize the Administrator of General Services to take certain actions with respect to parcels of real property located in Eastlake, Ohio, and Koochiching County, Minnesota, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6524.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6524, a bill to authorize the administrator of General Services to transfer a parcel of real property in Eastlake, Ohio, to the city of Eastlake. Further, the bill authorizes the transfer of real property in the Koochiching Army Reserve Training Center in Koochiching County, Minnesota, to the County of Koochiching.

The city of Eastlake will compensate the General Services $30,000 for the real property transfer and the County of Koochiching also will compensate the General Services $30,000 for the real property transfer. The General Services Administration will forward to the Secretary of the Army the net proceeds for the transfer.

The parcel of real property in Eastlake is an approximate 10-acre site, which includes the John F. Kennedy Senior Citizen Center. In 1964, the city of Eastlake purchased the property and, consistent with the deed restriction, used the site for recreational uses for over 40 years. The bill will lift the deed restrictions and thus allow the city to use the property for economic development purposes. The senior center has been moved to a better location. Further, the city has purchased over 17 acres for parks and recreational uses, increasing the overall acreage devoted to open space and parkland.

The first parcel in Minnesota is 5\1/2\ acres, which includes the U.S. Army Armory Building, which will pay to have the roof replaced, install a new boiler and heating system, and make extensive repairs to the ceiling. The Army reported the property excess in January 2006 and GSA accepted the report of excess in February 2006. GSA screened the property with other Federal agencies, but there were no expressions of interest. Likewise, no expressions of interest from homeless shelter providers were received by GSA.

Mr. Speaker, I commend both Chairman Oberstar and my colleague, Congressman LaTourette, for working on these essential pieces of legislation and for ensuring compensation will be made to the General Services, and the Federal taxpayers will be fully protected.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6524. This legislation will allow the General Services Administration to remove the public use deed restriction on a former National Park property in the community of Eastlake, Ohio, and dispose of a surplus property in Koochiching County, Minnesota.

Since its transfer to Eastlake, Ohio, in 1964, the former National Park Service property has met its public use requirements by serving as a senior center. Because the community has built a new center to replace the aging John F. Kennedy Senior Citizen, Eastlake desires to make use of the property for other purposes. The city of Eastlake would pay the General Services Administration $30,000 for removal of the restrictions on the use of the property.

For more than 40 years, the real estate has served the purpose intended in the initial agreement. And this bill will allow the property to be repurposed to continue to serve the community.

The community of Koochiching County, Minnesota, has similar plans for a parcel of property that has for years served as a military training facility. The changing needs of the U.S. Army Reserve and the community now mean that the property can serve the public interests better by housing several local government agencies.

The conveyance of property in Koochiching has restrictions that will ensure that the property continue to serve the community. GSA does not oppose either of those provisions. In fact, in conversations with staff, GSA indicated that if GSA had the authority, it would remove the deed restriction on the property and convey the Minnesota property at no cost because GSA believes the public interest has been and

is being served by the provisions in the bill.

Each of these properties has served the General Services Administration purposes well, but the changing needs of the communities of Eastlake and Koochiching County now require that the properties be repurposed. In both cases, the needs of the community can be better served through adaptive reuse of these properties.

I support the bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6524, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the

table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.