Operations

  • GSA, General Services Administration, Federal Buildings Fund, federal building repair backlog
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    Al Drago / Stringer via Getty Images
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    GSA faces building repair costs up to 436% higher because of cap, administrator says

    Requiring the U.S. General Services Administration to get congressional approval for repairs over $3.96 million is exacerbating a backlog, the agency’s chief says in a letter.

    By • Sept. 15, 2026
  • A photograph of a stripped out restaurant with wall studs and HVAC visible.
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    Why second-generation restaurant space doesn’t always make sense

    Existing systems, such as HVAC, may look like an asset until it “needs to be replaced six months after opening,” says Danny Bendas, managing partner at Synergy Restaurant Consultants.  

    By Michael Brady • Sept. 14, 2026
  • facilities management Explore the Trendline➔
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive

    Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive

    By Facilities Dive staff
  • An aerial view of a massive building.
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    Lessons learned from rebuilding the Pentagon after 9/11

    The team used creative design, workforce planning and an integrated project delivery process to finish the renovation ahead of schedule, under budget and without disruption to occupants.

    By • Sept. 11, 2026
  • average occupancy, space utilization
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    Opinion

    Average occupancy is a bad way to run a hybrid office

    Combine that metric with a look at usage patterns to get a sense of employees' in-office experience.

    By Elyas Coutts • Sept. 11, 2026
  • ESCOs, energy service performance contracts
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    Look at needs, not regulatory landscape, when upgrading HVAC: CEO

    Policy priorities will shift, but your needs are clear when you evaluate them, says Chris Drew of boiler manufacturer Burnham Holdings.

    By • Sept. 10, 2026
  • The Portland city skyline is seen before sunrise
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    Shunyu Fan via Getty Images
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    Portland Public Schools ponders up to 18 school closures

    If the district doesn't close schools by 2031-32, most of its 45 elementary schools will have fewer than 360 students, and almost all of its 15 middle schools will have fewer than 500 students. 

    By Kara Arundel • Sept. 10, 2026
  • Eos zinc battery storage factory
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    Permission granted by Eos
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    Google to buy energy from solar-storage project at former coal mine

    The West Virginia project will consist of 86 MW of utility-scale solar, 10 MW/100 MWh of zinc-based long-duration energy storage and 70 MW/280 MWh of lithium-ion energy storage.

    By Brian Martucci • Sept. 9, 2026
  • A raised floor and suction tool in the server room of a data center.
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    Rapid data center buildout can create site risks, property service CEO says

    The speed at which data centers are being constructed could leave some with gaps that cause problems later, says Kade Thomas of Cerv Property Solutions.

    By • Sept. 4, 2026
  • Students hanging out on a college campus
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    Universities using offices and classrooms more: report

    Higher education has made progress on utilization, but conference rooms still mostly sit empty, leaving room for improvements and savings, says occupancy intelligence firm Occuspace. 

    By • Sept. 2, 2026
  • Low, wide building with columns and flags in front, with large lawn in foreground.
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    The image by WhisperToMe is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Houston City College wants more funding to manage $80M maintenance backlog

    The public institution’s to-do list includes HVAC upgrades, structural and elevator repairs, window and carpet replacement and new fire pumps and security alarms.   

    By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 2, 2026
  • Three customers shop at a retail store.
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    Digital fatigue drives shoppers to stores that don’t overstimulate: JLL

    Customers are seeking retail spaces that allow them to wander without noise, clutter and screens, JLL says in a report.

    By • Aug. 25, 2026
  • An employee assists a customer at The Home Depot store.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Home Depot express service targets 3 hour deliveries, nationwide

    The service covers thousands of SKUs and uses more than 2,000 U.S. stores as fulfillment hubs.

    By Kelly Stroh • Aug. 24, 2026
  • Lego toy bricks seen next to Lego logo.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Lego leans on renewable energy to cut operational emissions

    The company is using renewable energy to power its HVAC systems at a new factory and has transitioned away from gas heating to a local network that’s mostly powered by renewable energy at its headquarters in Denmark, it said. 

    By Zoya Mirza • Aug. 20, 2026
  • Terafab, SpaceX, on-site power, natural gas turbines
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    Power ‘quality’ is why SpaceX’s Terafab is going with on-site gas, analysts say

    The plan for what’s billed as the world’s largest manufacturing facility would use natural gas turbines and battery storage because silicon chips require a highly stable voltage supply, according to analyses.

    By • Aug. 18, 2026
  • Racks of servers in a data center.
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    Trane, Eaton release DC-focused reference design for data centers

    The direct current architecture, built to work with NVIDIA’s blueprints for AI data centers, can significantly reduce copper use and installation costs, the companies say. 

    By • Aug. 17, 2026
  • Solar power plant and wind turbines next to the lake
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    Adobe Stock / snapshotfreddy

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    Sponsored by NORESCO

    Shrinking the energy challenge: From small steps to big impacts

    Reduce energy costs through efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems.

    Aug. 17, 2026
  • Car stacking systems, facilities parking operations, KLAUS Multiparking America
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    Courtesy of KLAUS Multiparking America
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    Opinion

    How changing seasons affect mechanical parking systems

    Spring, summer, fall and winter impact car stacker systems differently. Aligning maintenance to the season can save a facility at budget time by heading off avoidable damage.

    By Darnell Lee • Aug. 12, 2026
  • An employee uses a smartphone to open an automatic gate at an office.
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    Security’s rising impact on office experience in Class A buildings: Kastle CEO

    Mobile credentials and other technology-powered physical security offerings are lowering friction and improving employee experience, CEO Haniel Lynn says.

    By • Aug. 12, 2026
  • Businesswomen talking in office while taking break and eating lunch food.
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    Food a key to retention, office experience, employees say

    Companies bringing employees back to the office without offering incentives are leaving opportunities for connection on the table, office caterers say.

    By • Aug. 11, 2026
  • Wildfire smoke obscures the Massachusetts State House and surrounding areas in Boston.
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    Wildfire plans a must in today’s climate, air monitoring expert says

    The increasing frequency of wildfires requires new, more complex ways of operating facilities, says Sissi Liu, CEO of Metalmark.

    By • Aug. 10, 2026
  • Two workers in safety gear inspect a rooftop drain.
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    AI-generated

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    Sponsored by Nations Roof

    From forecast to recovery: A smarter approach to commercial roof storm response

    A practical framework for protecting facilities before, during and after severe weather.

    Aug. 10, 2026
  • Water tower bearing the logo for the City of Cadillac, Michigan.
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    Permission granted by Schneider Electric
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    Schneider Electric, Budderfly to upgrade 7 municipal facilities in Cadillac, Michigan

    The energy efficiency, distributed energy and building automation project aims to help the city stabilize operating costs and maintain services during outages, a city official said.

    By • Aug. 5, 2026
  • DOT, Department of Transportation, GSA, GAO, USE IT Act, 60% occupancy threshold
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    DOT failing building consolidation effort, watchdog says

    Only 21 of the 189 buildings the U.S. Department of Transportation uses meet a required 60% utilization threshold, the Government Accountability Office says.

    By • Aug. 5, 2026
  • Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, GSA, federal court maintenance backlog
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    Judiciary seeks management of federal courthouses

    A bill would allow the judiciary to demonstrate that it can maintain its own facilities while giving Congress an opportunity to evaluate the approach before considering a broader transfer of authority, said the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. 

    By Lisa Burden • Aug. 4, 2026
  • Water treatment plant infrastructure with the sun rising behind it.
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    Getty Images
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    US sees ‘significant escalation’ in attacks on water systems

    Hackers have locked operators out of their own OT networks, modified passwords and changed IP addresses.

    By David Jones • Aug. 4, 2026