USDA Seeks to Lease Office and Related Space in Georgetown, Sussex County, Deleware

State:  Delaware

County:  Sussex County

City:  Georgetown

Space Type:  General-purpose office and related space

Delineated Area: 

North:  Beginning at the intersection of US-13 (Sussex Highway) and DE-36/ DE-16 (Beach Highway/ Main Street/ Milton-Ellendale Highway) ending at DE-5 (Union Street);

East:     Beginning at the intersection of DE-16 (Milton-Ellendale Highway) and DE-5 (Union Street/ Federal Street/ Harberson Road/ Indian Mission Boulevard) and DE-24 (John J. Williams Highway);

South:   Beginning at the intersection of DE-5 (Indian Mission Boulevard) and DE-24 (John J. Williams Highway) to DE-5/ DE-24 (Main Street/ Washington Street/ Laurel Road) to DE-30/ DE-24 (Millsboro Highway) to DE-24 (Laurel Road) ending at the intersection of DE-24 (Laurel Road) and US-13 (Sussex Highway);

West:    Beginning at the intersection of DE-24 (Laurel Road)/ US-13 (Sussex Highway) ending at the intersection of US-13 (Sussex Highway) and DE-16 (Beach Highway).

SPACE REQUREST

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks to lease the following space for the USDA Service Center defined as FSA and NRCS, to house agency personnel, equipment, and property:

Minimum Sq. Ft. (ABOA):  USDA Service Center Minimum 7,206 ABOA SF

Maximum Sq. Ft. (ABOA):  USDA Service Center Maximum 7,566 ABOA SF

Rentable Square Feet (RSF):  USDA Service Center Not to Exceed 8,286 RSF

In accordance with 41 CFR § 102-73.170(f), the USDA is delegated the authority to lease special purpose space of which the space is utilized in cooperation with State and local government, or their instrumentalities for the purposes of providing continued technical assistant and support by the conservation partner (“NRCS Partner”) and to enable and provide clients with a one-stop structure to conduct business with multiple agencies. 

To this extent, it is the intention of the USDA to secure the following for fit-out on behalf of the NRCS Partner to house NRCS/Partner personnel, equipment, and property:

Minimum Sq. Ft. (ABOA):  NRCS Partner Minimum 3,178 ABOA SF

Maximum Sq. Ft. (ABOA):  NRCS Partner Maximum 3,337 ABOA SF

Rentable Square Feet (RSF):  NRCS Partner Not to Exceed 3,655 RSF

The total square footage being leased by the USDA and the space secured on behalf of the NRCS Partner, shall not exceed the following:

Minimum Sq. Ft. (ABOA):  10,384 ABOA SF Minimum

Maximum Sq. Ft. (ABOA):  10,903 ABOA SF Maximum

Rentable Square Feet (RSF):  Not to Exceed 11,941 RSF

• A lease for the secured space for fit-out on behalf of the NRCS Partner shall be negotiated following award of the USDA Service Center lease. 
• The USDA, its contracting officers or designees, shall not intercede or participate in negotiations between the successful Lessor and the NRCS Partner.

LEASE TERM

Full Term:  Up to thirteen (13) Years (156-Months)

Firm Term:  The firm lease term period shall be made effective with a final lease amendment establishing fully beneficial occupancy following the government acceptance of space in accordance with the Lease. 

• Ten (10) Years (120-Months) USDA Service Center
• No Firm term for NRCS Partner

Termination Rights:

• USDA Service Center – 120-days in whole or in parts after expiration of the firm lease term.
• NRCS Partner – 120-days in whole following lease award.

Option Term:  None

PARKING

USDA will lease all required parking spaces for use by USDA Service Center and NRCS Partner vehicles, visitors, and personnel, with all costs included in the USDA lease. The partner agency may use the leased parking at no cost as agreed upon internally.

Total Parking:  Seventy-four (74)

GOV Surface/ Outside Reserved Parking Spaces:  Six (6) reserved, on-site surface parking spaces for official government vehicles owned or leased on behalf of the Government or privately owned vehicles designated for official use in performance of the government’s mission.  These spaces shall be located within the secured/ fenced parking/ ware yard.  See “Additional Requirements” for Secured/ Fenced Parking/ Ware Yard.

Producer/ Visitor Surface/ Outside Reserved Parking Spaces:  Twenty-six (26) reserved, on-site surface parking spaces for privately owned producer and/or visitor parking. 

• The parking lot shall have pull-through capabilities and shall not be obstructed by adjacent building(s), structure(s), and/or tenants’ usage.
• Parking shall be within a maximum walking distance of 300-feet of the public entrance of the building.
• Two (2) of the producer/ visitor surface parking spaces shall be large enough to accommodate large, oversized, farm-type vehicles with trailers.  These space should be in addition to the pull-through parking requirement.

Employee Surface/ Outside Non-Reserved Parking Spaces:  Forty-two (42) non-reserved parking spaces for privately owned lessee employee use.  These parking spaces shall either be “on-site” or “off-site” not exceeding a walkable ¼ mile (1,320 feet) of the employee entrance of the building. 

Tenant Improvements:  Pre-Award Design Intent Drawing Workshop with Turnkey Tenant Improvement (TIs)

Additional Requirements:

• Square feet may reflect non-USDA partners where NRCS provides workspace to partners through agreement.
• 5,000 SF Secured/ Fenced Parking/ Ware Yard
  • Secured/ fenced parking/ ware yard will house six (6) government owned/ leased vehicles.  The size and configuration of the secured/ fenced parking/ ware yard shall be sufficient to allow for maneuverability without obstruction by adjacent building(s), structure(s), or fencing.
  • For ease of access to government owned/ lease vehicles and for security purposes, the secure/ fenced parking/ ware yard shall be on-site and adjacent to the building, but no exceeding 25-walkable feet from the lessee employee entrance of the building, may be located on-or-off the parking lot/area, shall be fenced with operable gates, and shall not obstruct or impede any pull-through requirements as per the lease and/ or any local municipal code.
  • The secured/ fenced parking/ ware yard will house a locked exterior storage building measuring approximately 12’-0” x 15’-0” (approximately 180 square feet).                                                     
• The space offered, its location, and its surrounding areas must be compatible with the Government’s intended use.
• The space offered shall not be located within 300-feet of residential areas.
• The space offered shall be in a professional office environments or surroundings with a prevalence for modern design and/or tasteful rehabilitation in modern use.
• The space offered will not be considered where any living quarters are located within the building.
• Space shall not be adjacent to a tenant or business whose primary operation is the sale of alcoholic beverages, where firearms are sold and/or discharged, or where tenants related to drug treatment or detention facilities are located.
• Subleases are not acceptable.
• Office spaces must be contiguous and continuous on one floor and all tenants in the building shall have access to all common service areas (restrooms, janitorial, mechanical, circulation).
• First floor space is preferred. If space offered is above the ground level, then at least one (1) accessible elevator will be required.
• The Government will have access to the Space 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays).
• Offered space must meet Government requirements for fire safety, accessibility, seismic, and sustainability standards per the terms of the Lease.
• A fully serviced lease is required.
• Offered space shall not be in the 0.2-percent-annual chance floodplain (formerly referred to as “500-Year” floodplain).

Entities are advised to familiarize themselves with the telecommunications prohibitions outlined under Section 889 of the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).  For more information, visit: https://acquisition.gov/FAR-Case-2019-009/889_Part_B.

Expressions of Interest Due:  4:30 PM Eastern, Thursday, April 30, 2026

Market Survey (Estimated):  TBD

Occupancy (Estimated):  Within 120-days of the government’s issuance of notice to proceed (NTP) of tenant improvements.

Note: Entities not currently registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov, are advised to start the registration process as soon as possible if intending to submit an offer for possible lease award.

Send Expressions of Interest to:

Name/Title:  Shannon Schoening, USDA Lease Contracting Officer

Email Address:  shannon.schoening@usda.gov

Expressions of Interest shall include the following:

1. Refer to project number 57-10005-27-FA in expressions of interest response.
2. If offeror is not the owner of the building, an authorization letter signed by owner to represent owner for property will be required.*
3. Brokers submitting properties MUST show authorization from the property owner to submit property on behalf of the property owner; this can include, but is not limited to a listing agreement, letter from the property owner authorizing the broker to submit the property, purchase/ sale agreement, option, etc.*
4. Photos of the space or site being submitted, or permission for Market Survey participants to photograph the space or site.
5. For existing buildings, download from SAM.gov and complete Lease Market Survey Form for Existing Building, MS-2991, in its entirety.
6. If existing building, include building name and legal address (as reflected on DEED), the location of available space within the building, along with building site/ lot plans, interior layout drawings/ pictures (with dimensions shown) reflecting the Space(s) that are being offered.
7. For new construction properties, where a land site is proposed, download from SAM.gov and complete the Land Market Survey form in its entirety.
8. If new construction, site/aerial plans or building site/lot plans showing the location of the proposal land, along with the parcel number (if part of multiple parcels, all parcel numbers associated with the proposed land). Adjacent streets showing proposed ingress/egress shall be shown on the plans.
9. For BOTH existing buildings and new construction, rentable square feet (RSF) and ANSI/BOMA office area (ABOA) square feet to be offered.
10. For BOTH existing buildings and new construction, proposed fully-served rate per square foot, estimated operating expenses – fully serviced, and any proposed concessions, free rent, or abatement that may be included in your proposal.
11. For BOTH existing buildings and new construction, amount of/type of parking available on-site.  If parking is not available on-site, provide a map showing the location(s) of parking requested in the advertisement.  If parking will be offered on a land/site/property/location not under the offeror’s control, an authorization letter signed by the land/site/property/location owner to present the land/site/property/location to the government as an expression of interest will be required.
12. For BOTH existing buildings and new construction, the date of space availability.
13. For existing buildings, provide information on condition of building systems, roof, foundation, and current floor plan. Alternatively, provide a copy of a recent commercial building inspection or appraisal.
14. Confirmation that offered space meets or will be made to meet Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS).
15. Confirmation that offered space meets or will be made to meet Seismic Safety Standards, as applicable.
16. Confirmation that offered space meets or will be made to meet Fire Protection & Life Safety Requirements.
17. For new construction or properties requiring expansion of the footprint of the building, confirmation that offered space meets or will be made to meet National Environmental Protection Act of 1969 (NEPA) Requirements.

*As mentioned in numbers 2 and 3 above, any submission received without written authorization to represent owner(s) will not be considered until such time the documentation has been received. In cases where an agent is representing multiple entities, written acknowledgement/permission from each entity to represent multiple interest parties for the same submission must be submitted prior to the Expressions of Interest due date.

Government Contact Information

In no event shall the offeror enter into negotiations or discussion concerning the Space to be leased with any Federal Agency other than the U.S. Department of Agriculture Lease Contracting Officer or their authorized representative indicated below:

Lease Contracting Officer:  Shannon Schoening