Arizona has eliminated workspaces made obsolete after the COVID-19 pandemic’s shift to remote work, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
The state has eliminated one million square feet of state office space over the past eight years – the equivalent of more than 17 football fields.
In the past two years alone, the state has eliminated 750,000 of excess workspace.
Gov. Doug Ducey announced the milestone Wednesday.
“Over the past eight years, we’ve been dedicated to transforming our state government,” Ducey said in a press release. “Our goal: fewer employees, higher efficiency, unrivaled customer service, a smaller building footprint, and a reduced burden on our hard-working taxpayers. It’s safe to say we’ve accomplished these goals.”
Since 2020, workspace consolidation has saved Arizona taxpayers more than $9 million, according to the release.
Ducey also unveiled Arizona’s Connected Workspace. It’s a space for the more than 15,000 state employees who work remotely to meet for any necessary in-person collaboration.
“On the outside, the building you see behind me appears to be an old, outdated government building – and until now it was just that,” Ducey said. “On the inside, we have completely transformed the space – representing the drastic evolution of Arizona’s government and workforce.”
The Arizona Department of Administration will manage this workspace. It will have video conferencing capabilities, interactive whiteboards, several conference rooms and collaborative huddle spaces, personal item lockers, and a fully stocked snack and beverage bar with a self-checkout kiosk.
“This brand new modern workspace is fully equipped for the new hybrid work environment,” Ruben Duran, Building and Planning Manager at the Department of Administration, said in the release. “As a fellow hybrid worker, the thing I love most about coming to work in this building is the fact that I get to choose how and where I work each day.”
Before March 2020, fewer than 10% of Arizona state employees participated in some amount of remote work. Now, 41% do, according to the governor’s office.
Additionally, natural resource agencies have moved into one building, and six state agencies will join them. This will result in six government buildings being abolished. Meanwhile, the Department of Education, Office of Tourism, and Department of Economic Security offices recently moved out of rental spaces into state-owned spaces. And the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System moved nearly 80% of its workforce to virtual offices; it consolidated two buildings into one, saving taxpayers $1.2 million in the fiscal year 2020.
Plus, the governor’s office says these changes will positively impact the environment. State employees in Maricopa County who work remotely have saved more than 204 million miles of travel from February 2020 to June 2022, according to the governor’s office.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
