No More Snacks, Exercise, Or Visitors at Goddard And Wallops
Keith’s update: This morning AFGE members at Wallops got the same notification that GESTA received regarding GSFC/WFF facilities. Keith’s note: There is already a plan to more or less abandon half of Goddard’s buildings. Proposals are due by 1 September on the plan to shut down (maybe commercialize) all of the GSFC buildings West of Goddard Road – which includes Bldg 1 (where the cafeteria/exchange is). Now NASA is closing the place where people eat lunch and putting a halt to the public’s ability to visit GSFC and WFF. This is really starting to get petty, Sean. People are already demoralized. The following NASA Goddard/Wallops message was re-forwarded tonight by GESTA: “Colleagues, GESTA has just received the following notification from management. We believe all GESTA members, and in fact all Goddard employees, union or not, should be aware of this immediately. Original notice from GSFC management is as follows: This is formal notice regarding several upcoming facility closures at Goddard and Wallops effective October 1, 2025. Management has assessed these closures and is providing this notice to support timely and transparent communication. GESTA wants to ensure you are informed of happenings around Center so that you can help assess the impacts of such closure implementations as soon as possible.”:
- Cafeteria (GB/WFF)
- Vending Services (GB)
- Motor Pool Services (GB/WFF)
- Recreation Center (GB)
- Rocket Club (WFF)
- Visitor Center (GB/WFF)
- Dormitory Facilities Bldg F-4
10 responses to “No More Snacks, Exercise, Or Visitors at Goddard And Wallops”
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There are two cafeterias at Goddard, Building 1, the small one, and the main one in Bldg 21. I can see the smaller one being closed to consolidate.
Is this a proposal from being forced to go with the “Skinny Budget”? What happens when (hopefully) Congress fully restores NASA’s budget?
As of today, there has been no official internal email announcement center wide.
*I’ve already heard from different sources that GSFC may have lost too many folks in some key areas that may be a growing problem if/when the budget is restored.
Bldg. 21 is one of the ones slated for abandonment, which leaves workers without any access to food on-center.
Everyone should be aware of this memorandum from late May, which interestingly didn’t get any press: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/sequestration-order-for-fiscal-year-2026-pursuant-to-section-251a-of-the-balanced-budget-and-emergency-deficit-control-act-as-amended/
Both cafeterias. “Vending services” is the B1 cafeteria.
I was assuming “vending services” meant the vending machines in some of the buildings. There are also smaller cafeterias in some of the newer buildings that this might affect? (I don’t know whether they’re all the same contractors)
Also cafes in 33 and 34
Both cafeterias are west of Goddard Road. Building 1 is a food court with two for-profit providers (one of which is Subway!) and is being renovated just in time to be closed, same as the GISS building.
Well, this is hostile and vindictive towards Goddard employees who work at a NASA center in a blue district. Ridiculous to make employees leave the center for breakfast and lunch when that cuts into their work time. Closing the Visitor’s Center, you must be kidding us? This is where citizens and their children come to see how their tax money is being spent on the wonderful things NASA does. Does closing the Rec Center also include the medical center? Sounds like a plan of growingly uncomfortable measures against employees after forcing so many retirements, towards full closure of the center. Another move by Comrade Krasnov toward loss of U.S. supremacy in space when our adversaries are advancing?
And what about the Library in B21??? There is a priceless scientific collection of print journals and books, none of which NASA has online access, and it has the best small and large group meeting space on-site!
I’m pretty sure that “rec center” means the recreation center used for gatherings and events, not the “fitness center” which is the gym. It would not surprise me if the fitness center also goes away soon, but I don’t think that is what is being referenced in this memo.
Everything is closing.