WASHINGTON — 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 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, and in recent months the FBI has expressed concern about the site selection process. News of the choice brought frustrated criticism from Virginia leaders.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia told reporters he had not been officially notified of the selection, but if true, “it would be evidence of gross political interference in an established GSA process that both states went through and it would be frankly more reminiscent of the tactics from the last administration.” GSA is the General Services Administration, and its responsibilities include handling government real estate.
Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, on the other hand, said the location in his state was ideal because of access to mass transit and because the cost to taxpayers would be significantly less there.
“We’re very happy about this location. We’ve got a lot more work to do. It would be nice to get official notification,” Cardin said. The choice was first reported by The Washington Post.
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.
He raised transparency concerns about the process, including extra weight abruptly given in 2022 to the proximity of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Virginia leaders, including Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, argued that along with the academy the state has also welcomed Amazon and other big companies in recent years.
In July, the GSA announced changes in criteria for choosing the new location, boosting two potential places in Maryland. The new criteria gave more weight to cost and social equity concerns than proximity to the FBI Academy.
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.
Two other finalists were Springfield, Virginia, and Landover, Maryland. About 7,500 jobs are connected to the facility.