The first wave from the Department of Government Efficiency review of all federal office space leases has found the impact on Western New York to be lesser than some other regions. But, as a cautionary note, more DOGE reviews are underway, and the complete impact of any local office space reduction could run deeper.
To understand just how much office space the federal government leases in the region, here are some numbers courtesy of the Washington-based Federal Lessor Advisory Group, which tracks such data.
There are currently 50 federal leases in office buildings that collectively total 1.3 million square feet. Most of the space — some 90 percent is primarily in downtown Buffalo. This excludes federally owned buildings, like the Robert H. Jackson Courthouse…