CLEVELAND — A piece of Cleveland's history has been placed on a list by the U.S. General Services Administration to potentially be sold. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Anthony J. Celebrezze Building was built in the 1960s and currently houses 4,000 employees

  • Inside, there's the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

  • Cuyahoga County leaders and lawmakers are urging the federal government to not sell the building

The Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in downtown Cleveland was put on the non-core property list in early March; the list identifies “buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations.” Lawmakers and officials are urging federal authorities to not sell it. 

The 1,194,675 square-foot building was completed in the 1960s and is named after former Cleveland mayor and judge, Anthony J. Celebrezze, according to Cleveland Historical.

Today, the building houses 4,000 employees, and if the building is sold, it’s not clear what would happen to them. The building houses many departments, including the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

In response to the building being listed, Cuyahoga County leaders and lawmakers are urging federal officials to stop the sale, as it’s a piece of Cleveland’s history. 

“My administration is aware of discussions regarding the potential closure and sale of the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building,” Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said in statement. “We are actively working with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and our local, state, and federal partners to understand the timeline.”

Bibb added that while it’s in the early stages, it’s concerning and that the city hasn’t received any indication of the federal government wanting to reduce staffing. 

“However, should any Cleveland workers be impacted, we stand ready to support them through our Rapid Response Hub in partnership with Greater Cleveland Works,” Bibb said. 

U.S. Congresswoman Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, called the listing a “slap in the face” by the Trump administrator. 

“The Celebrezze building is a critical cornerstone for Cleveland’s federal operations and a vital anchor for the downtown economy,” Brown said in a statement. “This reckless and short-sighted fire-sale will disrupt essential federal services and undermine the City’s critical investments in the downtown economy. What’s more, it will inflict further trauma on public servants, who have been relentlessly attacked by DOGE and this Administration with return-to-work orders and indiscriminate firings. Our city and our people deserve better than being treated as collateral damage in DOGE’s reckless cost-cutting schemes.” 

Cuyahoga County also issued a statement, saying in part, “Cuyahoga County urges leadership within the federal government to reinvest in the building to ensure that all federal jobs are retained in our urban core.”

Several other buildings in other cities like Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton are also listed. To view the list, click here.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the GSA for more information but has yet to hear back.