GSA Solicits Rochester Keating Courthouse Hardening Work With $1M to $5M Magnitude

The General Services Administration has moved the Keating Courthouse Hardening Phase II construction opportunity in Rochester into solicitation, creating a federal building security project with a stated construction magnitude between $1 million and $5 million. SAM.gov identifies the project as a construction services contract for the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building at 100 State Street in Rochester SAM.gov.

For Rochester contractors and subcontractors, the opportunity matters because it is a federal Public Buildings Service project in an occupied downtown courthouse, with a small-business set-aside, a defined performance period and a scope tied to building hardening rather than new construction SAM.gov.

What the solicitation says

The project name is Keating Courthouse Hardening Phase II, and the solicitation number is 47PC5326R0021 SAM.gov. GSA's Public Buildings Service is the contracting agency, and the place of performance is the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building at 100 State Street in Rochester Contract Radar.

SAM.gov describes the procurement as a firm-fixed-price construction services contract using a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable selection process under FAR Part 15.1 SAM.gov. The NAICS code is 236220, Commercial and Institutional Building Construction, with a $45 million small business size standard measured by average annual receipts over the last three completed fiscal years SAM.gov.

Set-aside and schedule

The solicitation is set aside for one Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business contractor, and SAM.gov states that offers from other than small business concerns will not be considered SAM.gov. Contract Radar lists the set-aside as SDVOSBC and identifies the response deadline as September 30, 2026 Contract Radar.

The estimated performance period is 240 calendar days after Notice to Proceed, and SAM.gov lists the construction magnitude between $1 million and $5 million SAM.gov. A prior pre-solicitation notice said GSA anticipated issuing an RFP after the earlier market-research phase and also referenced a 240-day performance period HigherGov.

Site conditions and context

The Keating building is not an isolated shell project. WXXI has described the downtown federal building as housing federal courts, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and a daycare, while reporting on separate proposed federal use changes earlier in 2026 WXXI News. That occupancy context matters because federal courthouse work often requires tight phasing, security coordination, access control and protection of ongoing operations.

The current hardening solicitation should not be confused with every other federal building news item tied to the Keating property. The sources reviewed here identify this opportunity as Keating Courthouse Hardening Phase II construction, but they do not identify an awarded contractor, a final design team, a detailed line-item scope or a final award amount SAM.gov.

Why it matters to construction professionals

Security hardening work in an occupied federal building can be complex relative to its dollar value. The contractor may need to coordinate with GSA, courthouse users, federal security protocols, building tenants and schedule restrictions. Even when the visible scope is modest, the administrative requirements can be significant.

For qualified SDVOSB general contractors, the opportunity is a direct federal pursuit in the Rochester market. For subcontractors, the likely opportunity is to partner with eligible primes and prepare for scopes that may involve selective demolition, doors and hardware, glazing, concrete or masonry modifications, access control, electrical work, communications pathways, interior protection, finishes and closeout documentation. The exact trade mix should be confirmed from the solicitation documents rather than inferred from the hardening label.

Implications for owners and public-sector teams

The procurement illustrates how repair and alteration work can create meaningful local construction demand without a new building. Downtown federal facilities, courthouses, municipal buildings, schools and healthcare properties often need capital work inside occupied conditions. That creates a different planning challenge than ground-up construction, because the team must manage safety, access, sequencing and communication around people who continue using the building.

Owners planning similar work should take three lessons from the Keating solicitation. First, define building operations and security constraints early. Second, make site visits and question periods meaningful because the existing building is the risk. Third, align procurement strategy with the trade market so qualified contractors can price the work without excessive uncertainty.

What to watch next

• Proposal deadline: Contract Radar lists the response deadline as September 30, 2026 Contract Radar.
• Award notice: No awardee is identified in the sources reviewed, so the construction team remains unknown SAM.gov.
• Final scope: Contractors should rely on the solicitation package and amendments for the detailed hardening scope, not summaries or third-party opportunity pages.
• Occupied-building constraints: The courthouse context means site logistics, access, security and tenant coordination may be as important as direct construction quantities.

Planning considerations for bidders

Interested teams should treat the site visit record, amendments, RFI responses and existing-condition documents as critical pricing material. On hardening work, small details can affect phasing, temporary protection, night or off-hour work, material lead times, security clearances and access to sensitive areas. Subcontractors should also confirm whether their work can be performed during normal building operations or must be sequenced around court schedules and tenant access.

Bottom line

The Keating Courthouse hardening solicitation is a local federal construction opportunity with a defined set-aside, a $1 million to $5 million magnitude and a 240-day performance period. It is also a reminder that Rochester's construction market includes specialized public building work that rewards contractors who understand federal procurement, occupied facilities and security-driven scopes.

Image credit: Thumbnail image of the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building, Rochester, NY (image 2007), from the Federal Judicial Center. The Federal Judicial Center page lists the source as General Services Administration (2007) Federal Judicial Center.

Sources

• SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/a8bb90fdf32f4071b87620bd134a6bc6/view
• Contract Radar: https://contractradar.io/posts/904138cc-8adb-41a8-b671-30853722f362
• HigherGov: https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/pre-solicitation-notice-rochester-ny-courthouse-47pc5326r0014-p-f98f0/
• WXXI News: https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-02-27/rochesters-federal-courthouse-could-double-as-immigrant-detention-center
• Federal Judicial Center image source: https://www.fjc.gov/history/courthouse/rochester-new-york-1973