Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel announced July 1 that the bureau will shut down its J. Edgar Hoover Building and relocate its national headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.
“This is a historic moment for the FBI… [W]e are ushering FBI Headquarters into a new era and providing our agents of justice a safer place to work,” Patel said in an FBI statement. “Moving to the Ronald Reagan Building is the most cost effective and resource efficient way to carry out our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”
The announcement marks the latest in a decades-long debate over where the FBI’s headquarters should be located. It marks a sharp break from Biden-era plans to move the agency to Greenbelt, Maryland — a controversial proposal that drew accusations of political favoritism and ballooning costs.
According to the FBI statement, building a new suburban campus would have cost taxpayers billions and taken years to complete.
Patel said the Reagan Building provides a safer, more modern facility without the delays or costs associated with new construction.
“This move not only provides a world-class location for the FBI’s public servants, but it also saves Americans billions of dollars on new construction and avoids more than $300 million in deferred maintenance costs at the J. Edgar Hoover facility,” General Services Administration’s Michael Peters said. “We are proud to partner with Director Patel to drive efficiency and improve the quality of space for a productive workforce in service to national security and taxpayers.”
