The U.S. General Services Administration has announced plans to sell the former Chet Holifield Federal Building, a landmark office property widely known as the Ziggurat in Laguna Niguel. The agency has engaged CBRE to lead the marketing and sale process for the site.
GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst framed the disposition as part of a broader effort to streamline the federal real estate footprint. He said GSA is taking a targeted approach to reducing what he described as a bloated federal real estate portfolio, with an emphasis on eliminating long-term liabilities and delinquent maintenance costs. According to Forst, this strategy is intended to save taxpayer dollars and redirect limited resources toward core federal assets.
The Ziggurat property spans 90 acres and includes a one-million-square-foot office building completed in 1971. Located in Orange County, the building is notable for its stepped, pyramidal design that evokes the form of a Mesopotamian ziggurat temple. The site is described by GSA as a rare opportunity to acquire a signature property with significant potential for transformative redevelopment in Southern California.
As part of the disposition, CBRE will support GSA by marketing the property to prospective buyers. Chris Connelly, Executive Group President of Advisory Services for CBRE in the U.S. and Canada, said the firm will apply its market expertise and platform reach to the assignment. He noted that this engagement continues CBRE’s long-standing work with GSA in helping the agency advance its mission.
The decision to bring the Ziggurat to market reflects ongoing efforts by federal agencies to reassess real estate needs, particularly in large office properties with substantial capital and maintenance requirements. While specific pricing guidance, marketing timelines, and buyer criteria were not disclosed, GSA’s positioning of the asset highlights both the scale of the campus and its visibility within the regional office landscape.
Details on prospective uses, redevelopment plans, or timing for a sale were not provided. However, the combination of a large land parcel, a distinctive existing structure, and federal sponsorship is likely to draw attention from a range of investors and developers focused on large-scale opportunities in Southern California’s office and redevelopment markets.
