The FBI’s long-awaited new headquarters will be built in Prince George’s County, a massive win for Maryland officials who have pursued the project for years while competing against a bid from Virginia.
The site adjacent to the Greenbelt Metro Station was selected because it was the lowest cost to taxpayers, offered access to mass transit, and could promote equity, according to the
U.S. General Services Administration, which will oversee the project.
“GSA looks forward to building the FBI a state-of-the-art headquarters campus in Greenbelt to advance their critical mission for years to come,” Robin Carnahan, administrator of the GSA, said in a statement Wednesday night.
Maryland officials — led by longtime U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer — have contended that Greenbelt represents better taxpayer value and would serve as an economic boost in a majority-Black county close to the nation’s capital but with relatively few federal agency offices.
Hoyer’s office stated on behalf of the congressman and a bevy of fellow Democratic politicians, including senators, members of Congress, Gov. Wes Moore, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
The statement touted the benefits of the Greenbelt site and noted the yearslong, bipartisan effort to land the project in Maryland.
“Considering cost to the taxpayer, equity, construction timeline, transportation access, and the FBI’s mission requirements, we have long believed that Greenbelt is the best site for this crucial facility,” the statement said. “We are pleased that the GSA arrived at the same conclusion.”
For over a decade, the federal government has considered building a new headquarters to replace the FBI’s aging J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. The GSA eventually narrowed the options to three locations: Springfield, Virginia; Landover, Maryland; and the winning proposal in Greenbelt.
The Maryland officials’ statement called the decision “a historic moment” for the FBI, noting that the Hoover building is in such disrepair that it’s surrounded by nets to protect pedestrians from falling debris.
“Today’s decision by the General Services Administration (GSA) will ensure we fulfill the FBI’s dire, longstanding need for a new consolidated headquarters that meets the modern-day demands on the Bureau’s work to protect Americans and our nation,” the statement said.
A timeline for the project wasn’t immediately clear.
