The USDA Seeks to Lease Office and Related Space in Mountain City, Johnson County, Tennessee

The Department of Agriculture seeks to lease general-purpose office and related space in Mountain City, Johnson County, Tennessee, with proposals due July 1, 2026 at 4:30 PM Eastern. The most recent amendment (Amendment 4, issued June 23) reduces conference room floor boxes from multiple to 1 and removes AED requirements; all prior amendments remain in effect and must be acknowledged by the proposal deadline.

Place of performance is Mountain City, Tennessee. The space must be 1,988 to 2,087 assignable square feet (ABOA) with a maximum of 2,286 rentable square feet (RSF), first-floor contiguous where possible, located outside the 1-percent-annual-chance floodplain, and accessible 24/7 with normal operating hours Monday–Friday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The lease term is 10 years firm with 15 years full term and 120 days' termination rights after the firm term expires.

The space must accommodate 7 USDA personnel (3 FSA, 4 NRCS) and include 2 private offices, 5 customer-facing open workstations, 1 touchdown workstation, a combined conference/break room, public-facing waiting area with countertop, ADP/IT server room, mudroom, and secured storage with slab-to-slab walls or steel mesh. Parking includes 1 reserved government vehicle space, 10 reserved producer/visitor spaces with pull-through capability within 300 feet of the entrance, and 7 non-reserved employee spaces within one-quarter mile walking distance.

Security requirements are extensive and priced as tenant improvements: hardened customer service counter with lockable sliding glass window, cipher locks on all staff exterior doors and interior access points, intrusion detection system with door/window contacts, duress/panic buttons (minimum 5) monitored by police or 911, emergency lockdown mechanism on main entrance, perimeter doors of glass storefront, metal high-security, or solid-core wood with interior hinges, and anti-slab-to-slab penetration measures. Private offices and conference room require Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings; all interior doors must be solid-core (not hollow). The conference room must accommodate 8–10 people with five electrical outlets and one telecommunications floor box (four data jacks, four outlets). The ADP/IT server room requires full-height floor-to-deck walls, ESD anti-static flooring, 3-feet clearance around equipment, overhead wiring, fail-safe condensate containment, and individually keyed cipher lock not on the suite master key.

Finishes include carpet tile in offices and open areas, commercial-grade phthalate-free Luxury Vinyl Tile (2.5mm minimum) in entryways, reception, and corridors, anti-slip hard surface flooring in restrooms and mudroom, ESD vinyl in the ADP room, low-VOC latex paint (minimum 3 coats), commercial-grade blinds, and laminate casework. Mechanical and fire-life safety requirements include ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation compliance, central HVAC providing 0.75 cfm per square foot at 72°F±3° (heating/cooling) and 55°F±3° (non-working hours), automatic fire sprinkler systems below grade or sixth floor and above, fire alarm systems for third floor and above, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors per local code, and fire extinguishers. The lessor must provide and maintain all tenant improvements including mailboxes (lockable, ADA-compliant, sized to accept 9" wide × 11" deep × 12" high packages), exterior depository drop box, USDA facility signage per the Facility Signage Guide, ADA-compliant bottle filling station, and one refrigerator (minimum 18 cubic feet, Energy Star, ADA-compliant) and one countertop microwave (2.2 cubic feet minimum) in the breakroom. The lessor must also provide mailbox design and location approval coordination with USPS, cipher lock maintenance and battery replacement, special Agreement Check (SAC) background investigations for lessor janitorial staff, parking lot maintenance including milling and paving where patching is insufficient, and staff training on security systems and cipher lock programming prior to occupancy.

Telecommunications requirements include CAT6 wiring per ADP and Wiring Guidelines Exhibit D, pull string from utility pole to demarcation point, data cabling with cable trays, and wireless access points. The lessor must provide, install, and maintain all ADP/IT room development per USDA Infrastructure Operations Division standards, including a pull string enabling USDA's utility provider to draw in new service. Utility service, janitorial services (daily trash/sweeping/restroom cleaning, weekly floor maintenance, monthly carpet vacuuming, semi-annual window washing, biennial carpet shampooing), HVAC maintenance, and all operating costs are included in rent. Seismic safety compliance is required under moderate seismicity standards (RP 8 Chapter 3 / ASCE/SEI 31 at Life Safety Performance Level), with pre-award evaluation forms (GSA Form 12000 seismic compliance forms) and post-award certification or retrofit required.

Evaluation uses a lowest-price-technically-acceptable approach based on lowest price per square foot per ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2017 standards. The NAICS code is 531120 (Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings). Offerors must register in SAM at the time of award, submit executed GSA Form 3626 lease agreements, comprehensive tenant improvement cost summaries with minimum two independent bids per cost element, computer-generated AutoCAD floor plans at 1/8" scale, GSA Form 12000 fire protection and life safety evaluation, seismic compliance forms, energy efficiency documentation (ENERGY STAR certification or cost-effective improvements statement), and proof of building ownership or authorization. HUBZone small business concerns may receive price evaluation preference unless waived. Questions should be directed to Shannon Schoening, Lease Contracting Officer, at shannon.schoening@usda.gov or 202-690-4265.