Despite federal workers threatening to quit if their office moved across the river, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New York District and North Atlantic Division headquarters is officially being moved from 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan to a privately owned commercial building in Jersey City. Senior leadership told employees in an email on Monday morning that a lease had been signed, confirming the relocation is going ahead. Politico first reported the move.
In late July members of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 98 were able to successfully push off the proposed signing of a lease originally planned for Aug. 15. The relocation plans, initiated by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a cost cutting initiative, included possible headquarters in Jersey City, Hoboken and Newark, leaving many New York-based employees with longer and more expensive commutes. When surveyed by the union, 45% of members said they would quit if the office was relocated to New Jersey. The new location is at 3 2nd St.
Local 98 President Daniel Kim claimed the move will result in a damaging loss of institutional knowledge, including from those who work on maintaining major navigational channels around New York. He said that engineers who have over a decade of experience have already left or entered early retirement due to a “lack of regard” officials have had for the union’s concerns…