Biden administration picks Maryland for new FBI headquarters, AP sources say

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has chosen a location for a new FBI headquarters in Maryland, people familiar with the selection said Wednesday as the suburban Washington location was selected over nearby Virginia following a sharp competition between the two states.

The site is planned for Greenbelt, about 13 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Washington, two people familiar with the process told The Associated Press. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans ahead of an announcement.

Consideration for a new headquarters has been going on for more than a decade.

Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore argued in recent months that building it there would be fast and save taxpayers $1 billion. He said a headquarters in the majority-Black Prince George’s County would meet equity goals raised by President Joe Biden.

Virginia, on the other hand, has the FBI Academy in Quantico. That state’s political leaders, including Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, argued the federal government should follow in the steps of Amazon and other big companies that have come there in recent years.

Plans to replace the FBI’s nearly five-decade-old J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington have been under discussion for 15 years. Momentum stalled at one point while Donald Trump was president, with discussion centering on rebuilding on the existing site.

In recent months, the two other finalists were Springfield, Virginia, and Landover, Maryland. About 7,500 jobs are connected to the facility.