Benzinga | Apr 27, 2021 09:19AM EDT

Easterly Government Properties Acquires 43,600 Square-Foot U.S. Attorney's Office Facility In Springfield, IL; Price Not Disclosed

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) (the "Company" or "Easterly"), a fully integrated real estate investment trust focused primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties leased to the U.S. Government, announced today that it has acquired a 43,600 leased square foot United States Attorney's Office (USAO) facility in Springfield, Illinois ("USAO - Springfield").

USAO - Springfield, a three-story build-to-suit construction for the Department of Justice United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois, was constructed in 2002 and is 100% leased to the General Services Administration (GSA) on behalf of the USAO pursuant to a 20-year lease, which does not expire until March 2038.

USAO - Springfield, conveniently located on the same block as the United States District Courthouse, serves as the headquarters for the USAO's Central Division of Illinois with subordinate staffed offices in Peoria, Rock Island and Urbana. The district includes 46 of the 102 counties within the State of Illinois.

"With its optimal location on the same block as the U.S. District Courthouse, this build-to-suit facility is the latest addition in Easterly's growing portfolio of assets backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government," said William C. Trimble, III, Easterly's Chief Executive Officer. "Easterly continues to make meaningful progress towards executing on its acquisition guidance of $200 million in 2021."

This office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes that occur within the District including offenses such as terrorism, child exploitation, violent crime, financial fraud, human trafficking and public corruption. The office also defends the United States in civil lawsuits and seeks to recover assets from fraud committed against the United States. Due to the sensitive nature of criminal prosecutions in which the U.S. Attorneys are actively involved, USAO - Springfield was designed to be a highly secure building.