In the News

The Silvio O. Conte Federal Building has been labeled as “surplus” and therefore under consideration for possible sale by the Trump administration.

Named for the late Republican U.S. congressman from Pittsfield, the federal building at 78 Center St. houses offices for the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and one of two district offices for U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.

It is the only location for Veterans Administration offices in Berkshire County.

The listing of the building on the “non-core property list” compiled by U.S. General Services Administration was first noticed late Tuesday evening by The Eagle. As of Wednesday morning, the list of properties — which included a pair of major office buildings in Boston and the Internal Revenue Service Center in Andover, among other locations — no longer appeared on the website.

Federal lawmakers and organizations serving veterans and seniors were quick to criticize the move.

“Having a single federal building providing services in Pittsfield makes a difference for citizens,” Neal said in an interview with The Eagle. “They know that they can travel there and have questions answered.”

“That property belongs to the United States of America. People understand the connection between constituent service and their federal government.”

The building, built by David J. Tierney Jr. Inc., was completed in 1978 for $1.6 million and was later named for Conte (1921-1991), a city native who served 16 terms in the House. It was part of the "urban renewal" project that leveled 86 acres of the West Side in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Catherine VanBramer, the city's director of administrative services and spokesperson for Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti, said the mayor's office was still gathering information about the potential sale and not yet prepared to comment. 

The Conte building’s tenants include a VA outpatient clinic providing primary care and specialty health services, including mental health care and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Most of the veterans served by the Pittsfield-based veterans nonprofit Soldier On use the Pittsfield clinic, said Bruce Buckley, the organization’s chief executive. He said the location has provided care more quickly and efficiently for veterans who no longer need to travel to VA hospitals in Leeds or Albany, N.Y., for service.

“It's really critical to their health care,” Buckley said. “As you know many of the veterans’ health issues are related to their military service ... [health care] goes hand in hand with how we treat our veterans.

“It’s needed. It’s not underused in my opinion,” Buckley added. “The cost of getting rid of it is greater than the loss of access to regular heath care. … It serves a vital role in our veteran community.”

Another Berkshire veterans organization leader, speaking on condition he not be named, noted there’s still a possibility that if the building was sold, the clinic would find another home.

“My hope is that they would see the need and they would just relocate if that building was repurposed,” they said.

But if the SSA and VA offices were to close, “I think it would have a significant impact on veterans in our area,” they said.

Pittsfield Council on Aging Director Jennifer Reynolds said many of her agency’s clients rely on in-person service from the Social Security Administration to answer questions about their benefits

“That would be pretty detrimental to seniors,” Reynolds said. “There are a myriad of frauds and scams surrounding Social Security. There are also updated rules with postal workers and county workers now eligible workers for Security. I imagine that will be a challenge if they can’t go downtown to get help.”

As for Social Security, Neal made a point of calling Trump's assertions of waste and fraud in the agency a "falsity."

"Social Security pays 99.8 percent of the benefits that the American people have earned accurately," he said.

Also included on the list of buildings deemed "surplus" were the John F. Kennedy and Thomas P. O’Neill federal buildings in Boston, the Internal Revenue Service Center in Andover, a U.S. Customs office in New Bedford, a Social Security Administration office in Fall River, the John Volpe Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, and the Philip J. Philbin Federal Office Building in Fitchburg.

"This plan raises serious concerns,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, said. “As Donald Trump and Elon Musk dismantle our government, piece by piece, and sell it for parts, it’s the seniors relying on Social Security, the veterans looking for health care, and entrepreneurs applying for small business loans that are paying the price.”

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., was similarly critical.

“Trump and [the Department of Government Efficiency] want to turn the federal government into a fire sale — firing workers, shuttering critical agencies, and cutting programs that serve working people and communities across Massachusetts,” he said.

On its website, the General Services Administration said it owns and maintains more than 440 “non-core assets” representing nearly 80 million square feet. Divesting those properties and their maintenance costs could save more than $430 million in operations costs, according to the agency.

“Decades of funding deficiencies have resulted in many of these buildings becoming functionally obsolete and unsuitable for use by our federal workforce. We can no longer hope that funding will emerge to resolve these longstanding issues,” the agency said.

The agency also said it would consider market research and customer feedback in deciding how to proceed, “and will consider current use, occupancy, cost of agency relocation, and local market conditions when assessing disposition.”

It said it would welcome creative solutions such as sale-lease backs and public-private options.