As the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) considers where to place the new FBI headquarters, Virginia lawmakers and other government officials convened in northern Virginia on Wednesday to make a case to GSA for why the new headquarters should be in the federally-owned 58-acre site in Springfield, Virginia.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the northern Virginia location meets all the site selection criteria (pdf) during the press conference.
“We are a state that is committed to uplifting the men and women who put on a uniform every day, including FBI agents, their families, and their employees. Specifically in Springfield, we have all of the key ingredients,” said Youngkin.
Last year, the GSA and the FBI announced the site selection process for the new suburban FBI headquarters campus in the Capitol region. The criteria include access to transportation, rapid site development, sustainability, advancing equity, and cost.
Companies like Amazon, Boeing, and Raytheon Technologies moved their headquarters to Virginia, said Youngkin, because of all the amenities.
“We have a robust infrastructure. We have business-ready sites. We have a world-class education system. We have a vibrant and diverse workforce. Our business-friendly ecosystem creates a welcoming environment for business. Just as importantly, our ‘Best in the Region’ ranking for quality of life is great for their employees as well,” said Youngkin.
Youngkin also emphasized that the Virginia site is closer to the FBI Quantico training hub than the two sites being considered in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Landover, Maryland.
“That difference is clear. Springfield is simply better situated and that is how the decision should be made. When it comes to critical transportation access, as you’ve just heard, Virginia has already made more than a $15 billion investment,” said Youngkin.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said the Virginia site is best because it meets the equity criteria, being a majority-minority community.
“And whether it was the FBI or the various components in the intelligence community, it is important that our workforce looks like the face of America,” said Warner.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) touted the region’s high quality and affordable higher education institutions—including Northern Virginia Community College, George Mason University, and Marymount University—as another advantage to having the FBI headquarters in Springfield.
“There is no better place for the headquarters. Our Northern Virginia hub region provides a hub for talent and innovation that will ensure the FBI continues to have a strong and qualified workforce for many years to come,” said Kaine.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, has led the effort for the new FBI headquarters.
“For far too long, the FBI workforce has remained in a building that does not meet their security or operational needs,” Van Hollen said last year.
The FBI is currently headquartered in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington, but the building has deteriorated since its opening in the 1970s. The federal budget for fiscal year 2023 includes language to ensure the FBI will have a new suburban headquarters for 7,500 employees.