Cushman & Wakefield Sells Georgia Warehouses
Two Georgia warehouses once slated for ICE detention are on the market as bidding closes Thursday.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Commercial
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Cushman & Wakefield has put warehouses in Social Circle and Oakwood, Georgia up for sale after the Department of Homeland Security scrapped its plan to convert them into ICE detention facilities. The properties are part of a portfolio that also includes warehouses in Salt Lake City, Detroit, El Paso, and Central Pennsylvania.
Why it matters
The sale could leave the federal government with a loss, as the Government Accountability Office reported $20 million in unrecoverable costs on the warehouses. Officials in both Georgia cities had pushed back over poor communication and concerns about water and sewer capacity.
DHS bought a 540,408-square-foot Oakwood warehouse for $68.2 million in 2025, and the Government Accountability Office reported $20 million in unrecoverable costs on the properties. Whether the sale prices will cover what the agency paid remains unknown while bidding is still open.
The players
Markwayne Mullin
Markwayne Mullin is the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, who paused the federal detention warehouse plan in April.
Kristi Noem
Kristi Noem is a former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and a prominent figure in federal immigration policy.
Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield is a global commercial real estate services firm that is handling the sale of the warehouse portfolio.
The details
Bidding on the warehouses ends Thursday. DHS had planned to turn the properties into large-scale detention hubs, with the Social Circle site expected to house between 7,500 and 10,000 detainees, before Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin paused the $38-billion plan in April.
Timeline
2025: DHS buys the Oakwood warehouse for $68.2 million.
February: Oakwood officials learn of the ICE conversion plan, and a Hightower Trail warehouse in Social Circle is purchased.
March: Social Circle officials cut off water to the planned facility site.
April: Secretary Markwayne Mullin pauses the $38-billion detention plan.
September: A Government Accountability Office report finds $20 million in unrecoverable costs.
Market Landscape
The Oakwood purchase at $68.2 million in 2025 set the cost basis for the federal detention plan that was later abandoned. Now the sale of these warehouses tests whether the commercial real estate market will recover that investment.
Georgia property buyers and investors watching the commercial market can track how federally owned warehouses are being sold. Local residents in Social Circle and Oakwood may see the outcome shape future development on their water and sewer systems.
The takeaway
Large public projects can change hands quickly when plans shift, and local infrastructure limits often become the deciding factor. Keep an eye on how the sale prices compare with what the government originally paid.
What happens next
Bidding on the Georgia warehouses closes Thursday, when the sale outcome will begin to become clear.
Further reading
Explore more commercial real estate listings and sales across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
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