It’s official: D.C., for better or worse, won’t be able to keep the FBI headquarters within city limits. The agency has long been trying to leave its outdated, Brutalist digs on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and has been looking at new headquarter sites in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.
Today, the U.S. General Service Administration announced its short list of possibile locations for the FBI’s new headquarters, and it looks like the G-Men are heading to the ‘burbs. Per the GSA, the shortlisted sites are:
- Greenbelt – A portion of the site known as the Greenbelt Metro Station located near the intersection of Interstates 95/495 and Exit 24 (Greenbelt Station) in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
- Landover – The site known as the former Landover Mall located near the intersection of Interstates 95/495 and MD 202 in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
- Springfield – The site known as the GSA Franconia Warehouse Complex located near the intersection of Interstate 95 and Franconia Road in Fairfax County, Virginia.
As my colleague Aaron Wiener previously reported, even D.C. officials conceded that the city was “effectively ineligible” to retain the FBI headquarters based on what GSA said it was seeking: Approximately 50 acres of space and the ability to meet top government security requirements. Still, D.C. proposed Ward 8’s Polar Point on the banks of the Anacostia River as a contender.
The FBI has been in its current J. Edgar Hoover Building since 1975. Once it vacates, the city will have the opportunity to redevelop the property.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery