Legislators bypass Jones Lang LaSalle, chose Siemens Corp., for services at Cordell Hull building

Legislative leaders have chosen Siemens Corp. to provide building management services at the just-renovated Cordell Hull State Office Building over Chicago-based real estate giant Jones Lang LaSalle, reports the Times Free Press.

While JLL now manages operations at the existing Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building, home since 1973 for lawmakers’ offices and committee hearing rooms. Those buildings will be vacated starting next week as legislators move to Cordell Hull.

Connie Ridley, the General Assembly’s director of Legislative Services, … said the move made sense given that Siemens, a subsidiary of Germany-based Siemens AG, was intimately involved in the extensive overhaul of Cordell Hull, installing a number of internal operating systems ranging from lighting to heating and air conditioning in the historic building.

Noting that the new systems are under warranty, the plan calls for Siemens to provide services for two years with officials planning to follow through with an eventual full request for proposals bid process before the two-year initial period expires.

“[Siemens] will provide services to manage it, again, since we really feel we need to take some time to put [the request for proposals] out on the street,” Ridley said.

Ridley also said in the interview that JLL was not among three companies asked to provide bids for custodial and maintenance services. She did not state why.

…A number of lawmakers and staff at Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building have been highly critical of JLL, which also manages 10 percent of state buildings.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and administration officials, however, remain big fans of JLL. Earlier this year, the company won a competitively bid statewide facilities management contract that includes Tennessee’s public colleges and universities.